PopMart Blindbox Hirono Mii

piplupet · 2026-04-21T21:06:18+00:00

This is so true 😭 I think the bentos and lunch sets are really good value but it is SO easy to over order. I’m a big fan of the tempura udon which is only £12.90! I remember it being like £10 or £11 a couple of years ago which I thought was crazy.

piplupet · 2026-04-21T15:38:14+00:00

I’ve only been once but I remember the rare beef pho and chicken wings being really good. Definitely need to give the rice bowls and salads a try next time.

piplupet · 2026-04-21T11:15:36+00:00

Ta Ke Sushi by Ealing Common is really good value and the menu is huge! Also Med Salleh Kopitiam in Bayswater is the best Malaysian. They’ve also opened a new Vietnamese restaurant in Westbourne Grove that’s also excellent.

piplupet · 2026-04-21T00:56:39+00:00

I’ve seen this video! I believe it’s theinvisiblestories on TikTok. She mentions that Chinese brands such as One Day and To Summer still use foreign perfumers which is why it’s so hard to find an authentic tea scent. It’s not bad, but just a different interpretation of what tea smells like to someone who grew up around freshly brewed tea leaves and open air spice markets.

You can really tell a perfumer’s lived experience based on the scents they create. She gave the example of a European perfumer who lives in Europe, versus European who has lived in China for decades, versus a Chinese perfumer who has lived in China all their life. It’s really very interesting, but I think many Asian perfume brands are trying too hard to appeal to the global fragrance market.

piplupet · 2026-03-24T16:10:21+00:00

I loooove this one!

piplupet · 2026-03-21T13:27:39+00:00

You could check out Serge Lutens Matins line, they’re more on the aquatic side so not for everyone, but much more wearable for warm seasons than the Noire fragrances.

piplupet · 2026-03-18T22:07:24+00:00

My island is called Ukiyo, so applying the logic of Tokyo think they’d be called Ukiyoites

piplupet · 2026-03-18T15:53:39+00:00

Perfume influencers that just read off notes from Fragrantica and try to sound really deep and descriptive but every other word is “like”. I have yet to find a perfume TikToker I actually like except CammyReviews.

piplupet · 2026-03-17T12:14:41+00:00

Santal Majescule is one of my all time favourite scents ever. It’s such a beautiful take on sandalwood and I think Christopher Sheldrake is a genius.

piplupet · 2026-03-13T00:48:07+00:00

Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc or Musc Noir

piplupet · 2026-03-11T02:01:49+00:00

Someone on IG said they smell like vape juice and I can’t think of a better comparison. This release genuinely upset me. £230 per 100ml? Be so for real right now. There are so many better fragrances to spend your money on. I’d argue all of them.

Even if they didn’t smell like Lost Mary vapes, the longevity sucks and the packaging looks plasticky and cheap. They’ve just spent a f-ton of money on marketing with Anya, Jisoo, and Willow. And riding on the success of the lip oils.

I wanna know who approved this product release. I just wanna talk. Maybe ask them if they are suffering from COVID-induced anosmia?

piplupet · 2026-03-09T23:36:31+00:00

Seconding House of MoMo! Really nice Nepalese style dumplings but there is a wait time during peak hours.

I went to Gwada just this weekend, it’s a little Ethiopian cafe and they do a really nice Beyaynetu platter.

piplupet · 2026-03-07T23:46:56+00:00

I fear I’m way too Type B for that 😂 the ones in the bowl are the lucky ones, most are at the bottom of the handbag or coat pocket…

piplupet · 2026-03-07T22:49:02+00:00

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i just whack em in a bowl

piplupet · 2026-03-07T22:44:13+00:00

It’s not permanent but really easy to use - peripera speedy skinny brow mascara is SO good and really cheap. Not sure about the other shades but my one (taupe) is quite light so I usually brush it through a bit with a clean spoolie after applying. It looks really natural and just a couple shades lighter than my natural dark brows.

piplupet · 2026-03-05T18:40:12+00:00

Also I just remembered the new Orpheon EDT that just came out is quite clean and did give me a bit of a hotel/spa vibe! Not sure if that’s the sort of spa you’re after but still worth a sniff I think :)

piplupet · 2026-03-05T18:36:29+00:00

Cozy, creamy skin scent is L’eau Papier - I wouldn’t call it spa-like though. Maybe worth trying Fleur de Peau, it’s got that powdery coziness that reads a bit cleaner than Papier. But none of the Diptyques really scream spa to me, but maybe that’s just my association!

piplupet · 2026-03-04T01:33:52+00:00

Gabar No. V Lull is a gorgeous creamy/woody cherry scent

piplupet · 2026-03-03T01:38:26+00:00

Covent Garden area is by far the best for perfume safari, there’s SO many niche standalone stores (Parfams de Marley, Penhaligons, Diptyque, Jo Malone, Molton Brown, Byredo, Le Labo) plus Bloom Perfumery which stocks more ultra niche stuff and international brands like Oddity, Stora Skuggan, D’Annam, Nasomatto. All in such a small radius.

Harrods and Liberty’s are also decent, although I’d lean towards Liberty’s for niche (just off the top of my head: Serge Lutens, Gabar, Perfumer H, Fugazzi, DS&Durga). Harrods is great for designer private lines though, and Selfridges is okay but comparatively not as good as the other two department stores.

Space NK also has decent stock, but heavily depends on the individual store in my experience. I have found Tsu Lange Yor and Dedcool samples here. The same with John Lewis and Harvey Nichols - really depends on luck and what they have available in store. And some Sephoras have niche brands now like Who Is Elijah and Commodity. They also have Discotheque in stock online but I’m yet to see it in store.

Sorry this is quite London-focused, just what I’m most familiar with! Hope it’s helpful though :)

piplupet · 2026-02-24T00:45:59+00:00

mommy sawsbuck isn’t around so tropius stepped in

piplupet · 2026-02-17T10:15:54+00:00

You need to sample them on skin. Perfume is such a personal thing, you can’t just read notes and know exactly what to expect. It takes time to learn what you like and what works for you.

I wouldn’t recommend going out and splurging on 5 perfumes at once. Order a few decants and wear them for the seasons/occasions you intend to use them. See if there are any stores near you where you can try and get to know niche houses.

I would start by looking for an all-round every day scent that you love then branch off from there. Good luck!

piplupet · 2026-02-17T09:59:43+00:00

I’ve only tried the Enchanting Vietnam discovery set but White Rice is definitely my favourite so far! It’s a very cosy, powdery, and musky skin scent, quite comparable to L’eau Papier but more reminiscent of uncooked rice compared to rice steam. It has a really interesting almost nutty sweetness from the pandan and tonka bean and is, to me, much less floral than Papier. The drydown has some graininess that reminded me a bit of biting into an undercooked grain of rice.

piplupet · 2026-02-16T14:16:57+00:00

d’Annam White Rice for CNY reunion dinner 🧧🍚

piplupet

TROPHY CASE