Unboxing: Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin

The Artist-Made Collection by BTS was a curation of items designed by each of the seven BTS members from concept to execution. Each member created two unique items, of which the processes are documented here. This collection was originally launched in January 2022 — each members' items had a staggered release over the course of three weeks. I wrote about how much frustration occurred in trying to acquire any of the pieces from BTS' Artist-Made Collection back then, but last December (yes, nearly two years after their initial releases), BigHit decided to release all members' items for this collection for a 4th round of pre-orders. Not sure why they made this decision — maybe too many ARMY complained, maybe it was a money-grab — but I was finally able to order the pieces that I had wanted back then but wasn't able to get, starting with the Red Carving Earrings by Jimin.

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Outer Box
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Slide Out Compartment
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Pouch with Earrings

Like Suga's Guitar Pick Necklace (which I have worn every single day since I got it), Jimin's Red Carving Earrings are packaged in a sliding white paperboard box. The outer box has the words "Artist-Made Collection by BTS: JIMIN" on the top in black, as well as images of earrings embossed on the top and the words, "Artist-Made Collection" embossed around the side. Inside the box contains a fabric pouch, also with the words, "Artist-Made Collection by BTS" printed on the front flap. In the pouch is, of course, the earrings designed by Jimin. 

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
The earrings are a hoop style that are 3cm in diameter made in 925 silver plated with platinum. (This means that those of us who are allergic to nickel — which is very commonly found in jewelry — can wear these.) Each earring is comprised of two hoops that are joined at at the clasp and the tip. There is a small carving on each hoop that is coloured in a dark red as well as a very tiny "13" (Jimin's favourite number, as his birthday is October 13) engraved at the tips of each earring. My favourite thing about these earrings is the sophistication in its simplicity. The subtle details set them apart from other hoop earrings, but they're incredibly wearable for everyday — which is exactly what I want in a pair of earrings.

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Envelope
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by JiminMaking Log
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by JiminMaking Log
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by JiminJimin Photocard (Front + Back)
The earrings also come with a single brown paper envelope that has Jimin's name written in his handwriting on the front. The first item in this envelope is a fold-out "Making Log," which shows the entire process of making the earrings in sketches and photos, from product planning to final review. The second item is a Polaroid-style photocard of Jimin wearing the final earrings design, with the words, "Red Carving Earring by JIMIN" on the back. 

On that note, none of the Artist-Made Collection items are available anymore — and if you wanted any of them, you had ample time to get them this time around because they were made on consignment — but I'm really glad they made all the items available again for those of us who couldn't get them due to selling out so fast. 

Unboxing: Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA

As many ARMY will know, it was like the Hunger Games (Squid Game?) trying to purchase something from BTS' Artist-Made Collection, maybe even more than trying to acquire their concert tickets. In case you didn't know, the Artist-Made Collection by BTS was a curation of items designed by the members themselves from concept to execution. Each member created two items, of which the processes are documented here. This collection was originally launched in January — each members' items had a staggered release over the course of three weeks. And each item sold out within an hour (some in less than 5 seconds) on its original launch day. (Seriously, I was on Weverse Shop right at release time for four of the launches and it went from "Coming Soon" to "Sold Out" within the time it took to load the product page.) 

I'm not sure exactly how much of each piece was made because some of the items are definitely more difficult to mass produce, which leads me to believe that the quantity released during the original launch dates were extremely limited. But when hundreds of thousands of people are trying to purchase such a limited amount, it leads to an outrage. (And ARMY are loud.) So about a week after the original launch dates, HYBE announced a second run — except this time, all items from all seven members would be released at the same time. Enter the second round of Hunger Games. 

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Outer Box
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Outer Box

There was an intense amount of frustration with this second release in a different way than the first one. A significant amount of people couldn't even get the Weverse Shop app to load. It would try to launch the home page and just give people an error message. For some, the app wouldn't even open, let alone try to load a page. For others, they managed to get the item they wanted in their cart, but by the time they tried to check out, it was already sold out. (This happened to me three times.) The trick this time around — assuming the app loaded — was to purchase each item separately. Not "Add to Cart," but "Buy Now." But that meant if you wanted more than one item, it was going to get extremely pricey. Because that also means paying individual shipping for each item. So, yes, I managed to get three items — but paid a small fortune for them.

Now, if you managed to get any items during the initial launch dates in January, you would've gotten your products in March. But for those of us who snagged items during the second run, they're being shipped over the next two months depending on which items you ordered. And thus, I present the first item that arrived: SUGA's guitar pick necklace. (For the record, it retailed for $82.68 USD, which is not unreasonable, but international shipping was $33.21, which is highway robbery. Plus another $33.37 for duties and taxes, which highway robbery at gunpoint.) 

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Slide Out Compartment
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Pouch with Necklace
This necklace is packaged in a sliding white paperboard box. The outer box has the words "Artist-Made Collection by BTS: SUGA" on the top in black, as well as images of guitar picks embossed on the top and the words, "Artist-Made Collection" embossed around the side. Inside the box contains a fabric pouch, also with the words, "Artist-Made Collection by BTS" printed on the front flap. In the pouch is, of course, the necklace designed by SUGA. It has a guitar pick-shaped pendant (this pendant is quite a bit smaller than an actual guitar pick) strung on a beveled cable chain with a spring ring clasp. Near the clasp is a little tag with the words, "By BTS" engraved into it. 

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Pendant (BTS Logo Side)
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Pendant (ARMY Logo Side)
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Necklace Chain with Tag
The pendant came in two different styles, one black and one silver. I chose the silver one because it looked cleaner and more sleek to me, but both of them have the BTS logo engraved on one side and the ARMY logo engraved on the other. The chain is adjustable to three lengths: 45cm, 50cm, and 55cm. Most important of all, the necklace is entirely made out of 925 sterling silver ("925" is engraved on the other side of the tag), which is vital because I am severely allergic to nickel. So even jewelry that is silver-plated is a big no-no for me.

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Envelope
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
SUGA Photocard (Front + Back)
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Making Log: Guitar Pick Necklace
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Guitar Pick Necklace by SUGA
Making Log: Guitar Pick Necklace

The other contents of the box is found in a single brown paper envelope that has Suga's name written in his handwriting on the front. The first item in this envelope is a photocard of Suga wearing the final necklace on the front and the words, "Guitar Pick Necklace by Suga" on the back. And the second item is a "Making Log" fold out, which shows the entire process of making this necklace in sketches and photos, from product planning to final review. This necklace was one of my top 3 choices out of all the members' creations. I knew it was my style just upon looking at sketches of it. A little edgy but extremely wearable, nostalgic but timeless, a bit delicate but totally rock 'n roll, and completely unisex. It screams "BTS!" but in a way that isn't obvious to everyone. And most importantly, I'm not allergic to it! (It's Day 3 of me wearing it without taking it off once and we're still rash-free!) It is literally everything I want in a necklace. I'm particularly glad I got this one.

Unboxing: Ollicraft Jewelry Earrings

If there's one thing I rarely talk about, it's jewelry. I'm allergic to most metals and don't want to spend a fortune on it, so I just don't bother buying it. I do, however, like wearing earrings (why waste perfectly good piercings?). There are stores that sell hypoallergenic jewelry but the designs are usually really boring and basic. I've stuck to wearing my BTS 2021 Muster Sowoozoo earrings, which are made of surgical steel, but I wanted some variety. So last week, I randomly found myself searching for hypoallergenic earrings on Etsy and came across a small independent shop based in Montreal called Ollicraft.

Ollicraft Jewelry earrings
Ollicraft Jewelry earrings
(Left: Mint green and gold foil round studsRight: Black shimmer round studs)
Ollicraft Jewelry earrings
(Left: Black and bronze foil round studsRight: Seafoam green shimmer round studs)
Ollicraft Jewelry earrings — Black and gold foil heart studs
The artist's name is Olli and she specializes in "modern polymer clay earrings with surgical steel posts," which means they're incredibly lightweight and totally hypoallergenic so that people like me, who are extremely allergic to nickel, can wear them. They also don't tarnish, don't cost a fortune, and are CUTE AF. So I bought 5 pairs. I picked up them up from my concierge this morning and I've been wearing them all day. Aside from admiring them in the mirror every so often, my ear holes also haven't blown up after 12 hours of wear! So I'm obsessed. 10/10, 5 stars, already adding another three pairs to my cart.

Photolog 2019: Day 113 of 365

I've been feeling really shitty because of this flu (I've had a fever of 100.4 or higher for three days straight) but I got a package in the mail today that totally brightened up my day. It was from my online ARMY friend, Maegan, who lives in Winnipeg. Last month, I sent her my extra brand new copy of BTS' The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 2 EP because I knew she didn't have it yet, along with a pack of BTS x Mediheal photocards. She was so excited and thankful for this gift and our friendship that she purposely stalked the Yoonmipins IG page (who makes gorgeous BTS-themed enamel accessories) for a month just to get me this adorable Jikook pin ('cause she knows Jungkook and Jimin are my biases), and this beautiful Love Yourself pendant necklace (when you open it, there's the lyrics to "Answer: Love Myself" inside with the flower design from the Love Yourself: Her album) because they were always out of stock. It was sent directly to me from the artist, who also included a little thank you note and a Jimin photo (one of my favourites, actually, from this photoshoot). I wasn't expecting this gift at all, so it was just such a lovely, thoughtful surprise. Truly, ARMYs are like a family.

Pick-Ups & Deliveries: Haul No. 60

So between massive amounts of online shopping and IMATS, I accumulated quite a lot of makeup over the past two months. Like, an intense amount. Let's start with IMATS, shall we?

Hakuhodo Brushes: B527BkSL, B110BkSL, G5538BkSL, J5522BkSL, and B142BkSL
Naked Cosmetics Cosmetic Glitter Original Collection
Lit Cosmetics Glitters in Rainbow Ride, Oprah, and Fully Nude
Mehron Paradise Glitter in 827-W and Barrier Spray Sealer Fixative
Every year, I wait for IMATS to stock up on Hakuhodo brushes, so most of my IMATS budget is spent on those. Yes, they are expensive, but they are worth every penny. They are some of the most high-quality brushes I have ever come across, just so beautifully crafted with the softest hairs I have ever felt (seriously, this is what I imagine unicorn tails to be made of). I picked up five this year — three face brushes (for powder foundation, blush, and highlighter), and two eye brushes — three of which are actually doubles of ones that I already have at home (because if I love a brush, I always buy multiples). I also bought a bunch of glitters while I was there, including a stack from Naked Cosmetics (at 50% off), a few from Lit Cosmetics (at 3 for $30), and one stunning holographic Paradise Glitter along with some Barrier Spray from Mehron so my glitters will stay put (it's also a great setting spray). Honestly, I probably would've bought more but the crowds were ridiculous and I didn't wanna fight anyone just to get some glitter. And a lot of the shades that I'd been eyeing were sold out, anyway. But I made up for it by getting three extra-large Z Palettes for $22 each instead of $38 like I normally do.
Morphe 35W - 35 Colour Warm Eyeshadow Palette
Morphe 35K - 35 Colour Koffee Eyeshadow Palette
Morphe 35O - 35 Colour Nature Glow Eyeshadow Palette
Morphe 35OS - 35 Colour Shimmer Nature Glow Eyeshadow Palette
Morphe 35OM - 35 Colour Matte Nature Glow Eyeshadow Palette
Morphe 9N - The Naturally Blushed Palette
Morphe 9BZ - That Glow Bronzer Palette
Morphe DD - Deysi Danger Highlight Palette
I also bought all the palettes from Morphe. I had never owned Morphe products prior to this but had eyed a lot of their palettes for well over a year, so I knew that if I was going to buy from them, it was going to be a lot. They are known for their highly pigmented palettes that come in a huge range of colours and for really low prices (all of their 35-colour eyeshadow palettes are under $25 USD), so I ended up getting five eyeshadow palettes and three face palettes (one bronzer/contour, one blush, and one highlight). I technically didn't need the 35O, the 35OM, and the 35OS (the 35OM is the matte version of the 35O, and the 35OS is the shimmer version of the 35O), but these colours are totally up my alley and I couldn't decide. The majority of these will be for my kit, but I am gonna keep a select few to keep in my personal stash. 'Cause, you know, they're just too pretty to not keep a few for myself.

Violet Voss Drenched Metal Shadow Palette
Violet Voss Highlighter Palette
Makeup Geek Blush Pans in Blind Date, Heart Throb, Puppy Love, Main Squeeze, XOXO, and Covet
I put in an order with BeautyBay last month, and I gotta say, it's become my new favourite online shop for indie beauty brands. They're based in the UK but they ship free to Canada with purchases over $25 CAD, plus there's no extra taxes or duties when they arrive. They carry lots of big-name brands, too, but the reason I even found their site in the first place is because I was looking for Violet Voss palettes. I did end up getting their Drenched Metal palette, as well as the highlighter palette, but their Holy Grail and Laura Lee palettes are still unavailable or sold out through all their vendors, so I haven't gotten my hands on those yet. (I am, however, perusing their website religiously and eyeing Violet Voss' Instagram like a hawk for re-stock updates.) I also saw that BeautyBay was carrying Makeup Geek, so I got six of their new blush shades that came out this summer. I love Makeup Geek with all my heart, but I hate ordering from their website because I hate paying for shipping and I have to pay taxes upon arrival. So BeautyBay has been a really great find for me, and I whole-heartedly recommend it to those who want to buy from American indie brands but live outside of the US because they offer free worldwide shipping (which most companies don't do, period).
MAC Liptensity Lipsticks
MAC Selena Techno Cumbia Powder Blush Duo
MAC Selena Eyeshadow in No Me Queda Mas, Missing My Baby, Fotos Y Recuerdos, Selena, and Is It the Beat
MAC Selena Lipstick in Amor Prohibido, Dreaming of You, and Como La Flor
Of course, I made a pretty sizeable MAC haul over the past month that started off with all of the new Liptensity lipsticks (you can find my reviews of the entire range here, here, and here). They are permanent, but they are gorgeous and I needed all of them. (Seriously, I have worn one everyday since they launched. I've even taken to layering with them over other lipsticks because they are just so damn comfortable to wear.) I also somehow managed to get the entire Selena collection (you can read my reviews on it here, here, and here) online before they sold out of it. MAC launched the collection online first for the Obsessed and Devoted members of their Select loyalty program as well as PRO members, which is how I got early access to it. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to get my hands on anything given how much hype there was over it (this is the first MAC collection that has ever come to fruition through a petition — Selena fans are freakin' hardcore, even 20 years after her death), but when I went online to check it out, all the products were still available. I am not a die-hard Selena fan — like most people born in the mid-'80s, I know and can appreciate her music and the influence it had on pop music, and have seen the film with J. Lo (on VHS, of course) —  but I am a collector, so I just added them all to my basket. 
Jamber Jewels Sterling Silver Origami Crane Necklace
Jamber Jewels Sterling Silver Feather Necklace
Jamber Jewels Sterling Silver Flock of Birds Earrings
Gilmore Girls Prints by Tyler Feder of Roaring Softly
SoCroch Watermelon Popsicle and Ice Cream Crochet Keychains
Finally, I bought a bunch of random things from Etsy. It started with me looking for a new necklace, which brought me to Jamber Jewels, where I've shopped before. I am allergic to a lot of metal jewelry but bought a sterling silver necklace from there two years ago that I didn't react to, so I thought I'd get a new one from there. I ended up getting two new necklaces and a pair of earrings because they were just too cute to resist. I haven't worn earrings in well over two years because I was allergic to all the earrings I owned (even the sterling silver Tiffany ones that I had bought ten years ago, the same ones that I had worn for five years straight with no problems, started irritating my earlobes and all the skin around it), but I've been wearing these ones for a week with no irritations, so I'm a happy camper. I also found this amazing illustrator who makes fantastic drawings inspired by her favourite TV shows, and I found four prints featuring Gilmore Girls (which is tied with Veronica Mars as my favourite show of all time, though I have been a fan of Gilmore Girls since 2000 and grew up with the show — seriously, from middle school to university — so it holds a special place in my heart), so I bought all of them and frames to put them in. (You can see the drawings up close here, here, here, and here.) And last but not least, I bought some new keychains. I found some ultra-cute crochet ones from SoCroch and bought a watermelon popsicle one and an ice cream one. They've already replaced my old keychains, which were too heavy and far less cute. 
Hey, at least I didn't get anything from Sephora.