Unboxing: The Body Shop Summer Haul

Okay, this is super random, but I was watching an ASMR video a couple months ago that featured some sort of relaxing sleep spray from The Body Shop, and I thought, "Wow, when was the last time I used anything from The Body Shop?" I would buy the odd loofah or hand cream in the 2010s, but had largely forgotten about this once ultra-giant bath chain from the UK. I remember I wanted to buy a couple things online during COVID, but saw that the Canadian website no longer offered online shopping or shipping, and I didn't care enough to do curbside pick-up at the mall, so I shopped elsewhere.

As an '80s baby born in Canada, The Body Shop was the go-to place to buy literally anything shower, bath, or skincare-related in the '90s and 2000s. (FYI, Bath & Body Works didn't come to Canada until 2008.) And this ASMR video reminded me that The Body Shop still exists, so I went to their website to see if they offered online shopping again. Not only have they revamped the entire website and made online shopping available again, but The Body Shop in Canada is now a fully Canadian-owned company! (Yay to supporting Canadian companies!) I had bought a variety of products because they were having a 40% off sitewide sale a few months ago, and I was incredibly impressed at the quality of quite literally everything I got. So when I got a notice that The Body Shop was having another 40% off sitewide sale for Canada Day, I hauled HARD. 

Guarana & Coffee Energising Cleanser, Edelweiss Cleansing Concentrate, and Vitamin C Daily Glow Cleansing Polish
Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, Camomile Jelly One-Step Cleanser, and Aloe Soothing Toner
Vitamin E Gentle Face Wash, Vitamin C Glow Revealing Microdermabrasion, and Peppermint Invigorating Foot Scrub
Banana Smooth & Shine Shampoo and Banana Smooth & Shine Conditioner
Shower Gel (750ml) in Mango, Satsuma, and Pink Grapefruit
Body Yogurt in Mango, Satsuma, and Pink Grapefruit
Dewberry Bath & Shower Gel, Dewberry Body Butter, Refreshing Passionfruit Shower Gel, and Refreshing Passionfruit Body Yogurt x 2

My face and body genuinely feel softer, smoother, and more hydrated after using their products (moving to a condo means using hard water, which means my eczema-prone skin gets even drier, itchier, and scalier), and best of all, I'm not allergic to anything! In comparison, I am allergic to almost all skin products from Bath & Body Works because of the scent ingredients they use. And I found out the hard way. I had developed little blisters on my hands that would itch like crazy and then pop and burst open into lesions and bleed out. I would get patches of eczema on my shins and forearms seemingly out of nowhere. And I had these for YEARS before an allergy test at the dermatologist determined that both Bath & Body Works hand soap and body soap were culprits. Suffice it to say, I would only go there to buy candles. And I don't use candles.

The Body Shop, which is celebrating their 50th anniversary (!!!) this year, is still supporting, utilizing, and emphasizing fair trade, ethically-sourced ingredients, and women empowerment. Not only that, but no one's doing scents like The Body Shop, which are pure, nostalgic delights. One whiff of Satsuma, and I am brought back to Christmas morning when I was 8. A sniff of White Musk, and I am in Grade 9 taking the subway to school. Of course, I picked up some newer items I'd never tried before as well, like the Guarana & Coffee face cleanser (it's apparently "for men," but I'm happy to report that it smells amazing and leaves my skin feeling clean and baby soft), Camomile jelly cleanser (takes off all my mascara and sunscreen like a cleansing balm but with a much more fluid, bouncy texture), and the Vitamin C face scrub (not harsh at all despite being called "microdermabrasion" and leaves my skin smoother than ever) that have officially entered my repeat buy list.

I'm sorry I abandoned you for so long, Body Shop. But I am back, and I am here to support you again.

Unboxing: BTS — ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl

I still don't know how I managed to get this on Weverse Shop because it sold out within literal minutes, but my copy of the ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl that was released for BTS FESTA this year finally arrived!

BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — With Clear Outer Sleeve
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Front
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Back
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Preview Reel Front
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Preview Reel Back
BTS' ARIRANG 613 Limited Edition Picture Disc Vinyl — Polaroid Photo Card Set
I really should look into getting a record player at some point... Then again, I don't have a CD player anymore, so...

Unboxing: Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Tour Merch

JIN TOUR MERCH HAUL! 

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Merch — Check Shirt

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Merch — Check Shirt (Detail)

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Merch — Check Shirt (Detail)

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Merch — S/S Routing T-Shirt (US Version)

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Merch — S/S Routing T-Shirt (US Version) [Detail]

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Merch — S/S Routing T-Shirt (US Version) [Detail]

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Merch — Wootteo Keyring

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR Official Merch — Tour Keyring and Tour Mini Charm (Newark Version)

Jin #RUNSEOKJIN_EP.TOUR VIP Gifts — VIP Laminate Pass + Lanyard, Acrylic Pin Set, and Fanny Pack

I had pre-ordered the oversized Check Shirt and Tour Keyring from Weverse Shop Global in June, but I did pick up a few things at the concert: the S/S Routing T-Shirt (US version), Wootteo Keyring, and Tour Mini Charm (Newark version). (I thought I exercised a lot of self-control, if I do say so myself.) I received some gifts with my Soundcheck VIP Package as well: a VIP laminate pass and lanyard, an acrylic pin set, and a silver fanny pack.

Jin Ramen Mild T-Shirt

Jin Ramen Mild Noodle Pack and Noodle Cup

There was also a huge Otoki Jin Ramen booth inside the venue (not sure if they're a tour sponsor, but Jin is — appropriately — the current spokesmodel for them) where they were giving out free gift bags to all the VIP that included a blue Jin Ramen Mild T-shirt, a pack of Jin Ramen Mild, and a cup of Jin Ramen Mild. (Coincidentally, I just picked up a six-pack of Jin Ramen Mild cups last week. Not because Jin is the spokesperson, but because it's genuinely delicious.)

Gifts from ARMY!

And, of course, there were tons of ARMYs giving out free goodies — handmade beaded bracelets, keychains, buttons, dozens of photo cards, ticket bookmarks, a plethora of candy, the most adorable BTS ARMY pens, scrunchies, and even bottle openers! Truly, BTS ARMY is the best fandom in the world. (I'm only slightly biased.)

Unboxing: BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures

So, um, I pre-ordered these last August and they shipped out in December to my Korean forwarding address... and I kinda forgot about them until my BTS Island figures arrived. So I realize this unboxing is exceptionally late, but they're all still available for purchase so this post isn't completely redundant yet!

BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures — Outer Boxes

To be honest, I'm not like, a die-hard Despicable Me fan, so I didn't even know a fourth movie was coming out until this collaboration was announced. And even then, I wasn't really sure how BTS was related to this movie franchise. (I looked it up: there's a new character in DM4 named Poppy Prescott who loves BTS. Which is fair. She has a BTS phone case and a "Butter" poster on her wall, and they also play "Dynamite" in one of the scenes.) But I've always loved the Minions, so when I saw that they were releasing figures that featured BTS as Minions in the "Permission to Dance" MV outfits, I had to get my hands on them. Resistance was futile.

BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures — RM, Jin, and Suga
BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures — J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook

All the figures come packaged in yellow (Minion yellow, if you will) with clear cellophane windows in the front. Each member has his own distinct box with his name and his Minion character illustration on the front. Each figure comes with a white foot stand. The figures measure 6.6cm to 7.8cm tall, and are made of PVC and ABS plastics. Each figure retails for ₩32,000 or $25.18 USD on Weverse Shop Global (and, as mentioned, they are shockingly all still available for purchase!).

BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — RM
BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — Jin
BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — Suga
BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — J-Hope
BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — Jimin
BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — V
BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figure — Jungkook
BTS x Despicable Me 4 Figures(Top row, left to right: RM, Jin, and SugaBottom row, left to right: J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook)

Now, granted, unless you're very familiar with BTS' "Permission to Dance" MV, you probably won't be able to tell which BTS member is which in their Minion form. But I will say that the designers really got down the hair and outfits to a T so any ARMY will be able to recognize these fellas as BTS, and that is what counts. (Also, these are just cute AF. Funko also released BTS x Despicable Me 4 figures, but they actually look kinda creepy so I'm still debating whether I will get them or not. We shall see. The BTS figure collector in me might cave.)

Unboxing: BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2

So, I finally got around to unboxing Version 2 of the BTS Island: In the SEOM BTS Island Figures. I pre-ordered them last October (yes, six months ago) and they were officially released this February, but I got them shipped to my Korean forwarding address and didn't end up shipping them out until a couple weeks ago, so here we are.

BTS Island: In the SEOM is BTS' match-3 mobile game that was released in June 2022, and the characters — which are based on the 7 members of BTS, obviously — are sickeningly adorable, so it was only a matter of time before merchandise for it was released. If you're a BTS figure collector, then you'll know that the first version of the BTS Island: In the SEOM figures came as a set which could be displayed separately or together on an "island base." This second version features the 7 member characters on separate bases, like the TinyTAN figures.

BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Outer Boxes

All the figures come packaged in purple boxes with clear cellophane windows in the front. Each member has his own distinct box with his name and his character illustration on the front. Each figure comes with a matching stand with the name of the respective member on the base and a sticker background each to decorate the stand. The figures measure 5.5cm to 7.7cm tall, and are made of PVC and ABS plastics. Each figure retails for ₩27,000 or $21.24 USD on Weverse Shop Global (and, as of this post, the majority of them are shockingly still available for purchase!).

BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — RM in "Wild Flower," Jin in "The Astronaut," and Suga in "Haegeum"
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — J-Hope in "On the Street," Jimin in "Like Crazy," V in "Slow Dancing," and Jungkook in "Seven"

So, instead of one cohesive theme, Version 2 of the BTS Island Figures actually features each member with their solo work. More specifically, each member's title track music video from a solo project:

• RM in "Wild Flower" (Indigo)
• Jin in "The Astronaut" (The Astronaut)
• Suga in "Haegeum" (D-DAY)
• J-Hope in "On the Street" (Hope on the Street)
• Jimin in "Like Crazy" (FACE)
• V in "Slow Dancing" (Layover)
• Jungkook in "Seven" (Golden)

BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — RM in "Wild Flower"
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Jin in "The Astronaut"
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Suga in "Haegeum"
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — J-Hope in "On the Street"
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Jimin in "Like Crazy"
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — V in "Slow Dancing"
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Jungkook in "Seven"
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2(Top row, left to right: RM in "Wild Flower," Jin in "The Astronaut," and Suga in "Haegeum"Bottom row, left to right: J-Hope in "On the Street," Jimin in "Like Crazy," and Jungkook in "Seven")
BTS Island: In the SEOM — BTS Island Figures V2 — Coupon Code Photocards(Top row, left to right: RM in "Wild Flower," Jin in "The Astronaut," and Suga in "Haegeum"Bottom row, left to right: J-Hope in "On the Street," Jimin in "Like Crazy," and Jungkook in "Seven")

As usual, the attention to detail in their individual hairstyles, outfits, and even background stickers is impeccable. I'm glad that HYBE decided to create figures with a totally different theme than their other figure collections (e.g. TinyTAN, Funko, Banpresto, etc.), which have a lot of overlap (for example, they've done "Dynamite" and "Butter" across all toy brands). These particular figures for BTS Island: In the SEOM actually mark the first series of figures that feature BTS' solo work — a cute acknowledgement of this second chapter of BTS while they're in the military. Can't wait to see what they come up with for Version 3!

Unboxing: J-Hope Hope on the Stage Official Tour Merch

You didn't think I'd go see J-Hope on tour and not get merch, did you?

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Zip-Up Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Zip-Up Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour US Exclusive Brooklyn Acorn Keyring Charm
Yes, my friend Iris and I decided to get in line for merch at Barclays Center at 7:00AM. There were about 100 people in front of us when we got there which, compared to the last time I was in line for merch at the BTS Permission to Dance concert in Las Vegas a couple years ago, seemed quite reasonable. (I guess, to be fair, there were also about 5 times more people at that concert.) We waited for about 3.5 hours to get in (the merch booths opened at 10:00AM, so all things considered, we actually got in pretty fast), and both Iris and I managed to get everything we wanted. For me, that included the two US-exclusive hoodies (that, frankly, cost a small fortune with the atrocious USD to CAD exchange rate) and the Brooklyn-exclusive acorn keychain (SO CUTE — every city in the US leg of the tour gets a city-exclusive acorn keychain).

J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Hoodie
J-Hope Hope on the Stage Tour Blanket

Of course, when I got home, my Weverse Shop package from Korea also arrived with the general Hope on the Stage Tour merch I had ordered a few weeks ago — I picked the hoodie and the blanket. Yes, I, too, am wondering where the hell I'm going to fit three new hoodies in my already packed closet.

Now, did I get a cold when I got back from NYC from waiting in line for nearly four hours in 5°C weather on three hours of sleep? Yes, yes, I did. Was it worth it? Yes, yes, it was.