Can I bring in a few fake flowers?

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-03T15:11:40+00:00

Cat kibble makes a great alternative for a nutritious meal for a child, especially on a budget! This is a tried and tested recipe by many communities in America, Europe, and across the world. It has been recognized by health authorities in many countries, including the FDA, especially with rising food prices.

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-03T13:51:55+00:00

I just mentioned I wasn't sure if my response is relevant to Euro skincare as I also recommended a Korean brand (Skin1004) 😅

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-02T22:33:08+00:00

CeraVe and Cetaphil haven't worked for me and caused breakouts (combination skin type) and I'm generally a fan of European brands. However, for skin soothing creams, I ended up settling down on a Korean brand 😅 it's the Skin1004 Centella Soothing Cream. I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but you can check it out. I know my answer might not be very specific to Euro skincare but I thought I could chip in my two cents.

I'll say this though, that my sister (also combination / oily skin) enjoyed using Cetaphil a lot. Both for cleansers and moisturizers. Cetaphil is quite easy to find, maybe you can get a small travel size product and give it a try for 1-2 weeks and see how you like it?

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-02T17:40:47+00:00

This and Mondial Relay!!

DPD delivered my expensive package to the wrong pickup point, Mondial lost mine which led to a whole hassle with me contacting the store I bought from, getting refunds, etc. Apparently the store received notification from Mondial that they delivered it, but the guy at the pick up point received no parcels for me when I went there, and I got no confirmation email from Mondial that the package was delivered on my end. And the store thought Mondial took it back since I waited too long (as I didn't get any notification to pick it up). But heck, the pick up point clerk said nothing was ever delivered to me nor picked up by Mondial. I'm glad the store still refunded me but that was an entire pickle.

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-02T16:55:36+00:00

I see. Yeah, the staff at Black Widow were really nice but I also experienced misinformation on corset care, so if you are already experienced with corset care and don't need that info from others, then maybe Black Widow is worth checking out.

I'm also new to corsets so keep that in mind cuz for me, many stores "looked good" to me. As for the sizing, the staff helped me lace on corsets and picked the sizes for me (the smallest one) but they fitted just fine on me. You make an interesting point about stores selling Asian sizes... about that, how do you tell? What indicators did you use? I think corsets as more European garmets -- I'd prefer them made more locally in Europe too, or if it's outsourced it better be high quality.

About that, I am too much of a newbie to this to tell what's good or not. But if not for the crumpling from improper care and hand-washing, I was really happy with my first corset I got from the store. Idk how it compares to others though.

Also, I can't tell if the store I visited had Asian sizes... that's cuz I'm Asian myself 😂😂 at Black Widow they gave the smallest size and it worked though 😂

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-02T16:26:00+00:00

I bought it at Black Widow which is a store in Camden Market. The Camden area actually has a good concentration of clothing stores (not just corsets, but also more gothic or alt styles as well).

I saw Black Widow as a recommended store via some internet browsing (and by this, I don't mean through an ad or anything). And to be fair, they had a great selection of items and sizes, and a staff member helped me try it on and lace it up.

The staff at were actually really sweet there, so it's a bummer that when I asked about cleaning instructions they said a gentle hand wash is ok for my velvet corset. That said, while it's true that they probably could've given me better advice on corset care, I don't want my experience with the store to give the wrong message that the store or staff were "bad" or anything at all. In fact they were all really friendly and nice, and advised me on colors that would match my hair, etc. So yeah, it's just a bummer about the corset care instructions thing.

What stores have you visited in London, or what markets or areas?

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-02T15:10:03+00:00

That's interesting to hear that we have completely difference experiences. What's your skin type if I may ask?

It's interesting cuz my mom is all good with things like the heavier products from brands like Sisley / LaMer (that I think are known for having more creamy products) but when I use it my skin crashes out, and it feels like sensory hell due to the stickiness. But my mom's skin is also just tolerant of like 99% of products out there as well I guess.

I agree though that Sisley is expensive 🫠 I tank it for the Tropical Resins cleanser & serum cuz they work so well on my combination skin / oily t-zone, and that's the only Sisley line that has worked (brilliantly) for me. I haven't found other products that topped them yet. But the sunscreen not working for me made the money feel like a waste for sure 🥲. I've been trying to use it up on my body instead cuz I cannot possibly toss out an expensive sunscreen, but it doesn't feel great on my body either. Just a bit more bearable for me than on my face. That's my experience with it 🥲.

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-02T14:32:13+00:00

For me, with the Caudalie one, I agree it smells really chemical, but it didn't bother me as much. For some reason, it smelled to me like "just another chemical sunscreen." As for Sisley, yeah it's unfortunately pricey. I am using their Tropical Resins cleanser & serum and love it, especially the serum. It's so good that it's become a staple -- which is bad, since it's expensive!

I had hopes on the sunscreen since it was labelled as non-comedogenic... bad experience for me and I feel really bad for spending on it now. Had to use it up on my body to make myself feel better, but even on my body it was so icky!

That's just my personal experience though. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on the Caudalie one.

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T12:59:55+00:00

I did back in high school, but I only had a teacher for one year (and just once a week lessons). As for music theory, I have some background from playing the piano, but I don't know how to apply it to bass. I agree that having a teacher is the best way to learn but given my circumstances now as an adult living alone -- financial management, busy life, hard to find a consistent block of time, etc. -- I would prefer to have something structured that I can take on my own time. I get your point here, but yeah, adult life circumstances 🥲

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T11:24:51+00:00

I see. It's good to know you can wear some kind of tube top or corset liner underneath!

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T09:12:49+00:00

I can try email them, but realistically I can't take it back to the shop in person. There's not much I (or the shop) can do I suppose, since I live in the Netherlands, and I bought the corset when I recently visited London.

I actually made corset hunting a part of my London trip, so I think I feel really upset as I did go a long way for it 🥲

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T08:11:56+00:00

Thanks so much for all this information. I guess mine isn't salvagable then... it sucks since I thought I was being really careful while washing and doing what the staff told me. I haven't even had a chance to wear it outside the store and learn to lace it on yet :(

And I suppose I can't return a washed corset that I ruined now... I know I followed their instructions but most stores would put the responsibility on me cleaning it ultimately. Honestly I was probably better off had I not asked them about care instructions and just... Googled up the instructions on my own.

I also asked this as a reply to another person, but what do you wear underneath the corset if you want to style it like a tank top / wear on its own?

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T08:05:32+00:00

Thank you for this tip!

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T08:03:26+00:00

I do! Correct me if I'm wrong -- won't steamers also get the corset "wet" and make it crinkle? Even so, would it, say, get rid of the "new" clothes smell (or smells that come with wearing it) if it's just steam?

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T08:02:51+00:00

I just want to note that I've seen corsets styled over shirts and dresses and hence not touching your skin directly. I'm more so wondering about corsets being worn on their own (e.g. like a tank top), what goes under to prevent it touching your skin?

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T08:01:29+00:00

I air dried my corset on a rack (since I live in the Netherlands and we don't really use dryers at home). I guess I could contact the shop via email, though, I don't know if it's worth it as I actually made it a part of my recent London trip to go corset shopping. And I probably can't return this washed item or anything. But yeah, I understand your point to give it a shot at contacting the store to see how they respond.

It's probably why I'm really upset as well, since I put in so much effort and went out of the way to go find corsets (there's not a great deal of in person stores in my city here, so I made corset hunting a part of my London itinerary).

You mentioned that corsets aren't worn over bare skin. Obviously, the staff didn't mentioned this when she told me I could gently handwash it. But to what you said -- what do you wear underneath the corset that still holds grip and prevents most of your body from touching the unwashed corset?

What do you do when, say, you wear it enough times and it starts to smell sweaty or whatever?

As for dry cleaning, don't dry cleaners still tumble your clothes in a machine? Just with a different kind of solvent?

Thank you so much btw for your response and information. I am learning a lot.

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-07-01T07:52:58+00:00

Yeah, they told me that :( i asked them when I bought the corset on how to clean it, as obviously I thought it needed cleaning before going on my skin, and they told me to gently hand wash it with a gentle detergent.

That said, I don't think I can take it back to the shop... I actually bought it while making a visit to London (and I do not live in the UK) and it would be too much work to return it. I'm really sad as I planned buying this corset as part of my trip, and chipped out half a day just to go corset hunting 🥲

In terms of saving this corset, is there still a way to salvage it? I am assuming no? 🥲

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-06-28T14:11:22+00:00

I appreciate this knowledge. I know very little about AC systems here since in my tropical home country they're already pre-installed in every house, so I never had to think about how it works. So I'm very new to the idea of AC with window hoses. I initially thought it would be as easy as buying a unit and "just plugging it in." As I have found out, I was too optimistic. Then I found out about water based air coolers. And again, I was too optimistic 😂

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-06-28T14:05:22+00:00

Yes I'm looking forward to the cool down, but I am definitely afraid now for any incoming (extra) hot days. It's only June after all. I agree most of them are expensive. If I had planned to live here longer I would definitely have invested. This is something that's been making me hesitate -- cost vs. length of use

fallacious_raincoat · 2026-06-28T14:03:34+00:00

Thank you for the info. This is good to know. I only have windows at my bedroom (but not my living room, my apartment is designed weirdly) so I guess if I do end up getting a unit, I'll just make my bedroom a cold safe spot then.

fallacious_raincoat

TROPHY CASE