Products I'm loving - Leather Shoes, UNIQLO, Skin & Hair care update July 2026

Friday, 24 July 2026

 Harper Sunday - Products I'm loving - Leather Shoes, UNIQLO, Skin & Hair care update July 2026 - Happily Flawed Blog



I really like the Kiko Unlimited Double Touch. It makes my lips shiny and glossy, and it stays on even when I drink water or coffee.

On Sunday evenings after I finish my chores and getting ready for the new week, I treat myself to the Biodance Bio Collagen-Real Deep Mask - Hydrating and Firming Mask or the Biodance  Radiant Vita Niacinamide Real Deep Mask - Brightening and even-looking mask . My face always looks fresh and glowy on Monday, even if I sometimes feel the Monday blues.

I've gone back to my favorite Corsx products: Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser, 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum, Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, and Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream.

In the evenings, I relax by using the Mixsoon Bean Hydrogel Eye Patch. For some reason, they help me unwind and get ready for a good night's sleep.

Lately, I’ve been using Beauty Of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30 as my foundation over my usual SPF 50 sunscreen.

The NYX Buttermelt bronzers add a sun-kissed look to my everyday makeup.

A few weeks ago, I bought my first pair of real leather shoes, and now I want to get another. I feel like this is my time to invest in myself.

It turns out I’m a UNIQLO girlie! It’s another way I’m investing in myself with simple, quality, long-lasting clothes. I hardly bought anything in the sales this summer because my UNIQLO pieces are still great! I even got some linen shirts that look expensive but weren’t, because I think for once I chose colours that suit me. I have been getting a lot of complements about my style.

Sharing  your current faves in the comments too!






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Watch A Splendid Match - Beautiful people, strong performances but slightly flawed framing

Monday, 13 July 2026

 


A pleasant watch that ticks all your idol-period-drama boxes. Except for stunning shots—stunning people, yes, but not stunning shots.

Because a fortune-teller predicted she was a jinx to her father's career, Gu Jin Zhao (Ren Min), the eldest daughter of the Gu family, has been fostered in her grandparents' home since birth. Although her biological parents ignored her, she is doted on by her grandmother, which has helped her develop a bold and unrestrained personality. When she returns to her own family, she deals with people and situations in a tough manner, and her vitality catches the eye of the powerful court official Lord Chen, the heir apparent Ye Xian, and the upright gentleman Chen Xuan Qing (Ci Sha).



The storyline is good, with interesting characters who tie the story together and character arcs that work (except Chen Xuan Qing's) . Impressively, it does not crash at the end. We have a female lead (FL) who is instantly likeable, cute and headstrong yet still young and naive. She has a maid who knows martial arts. We have the male lead (ML), Chen Xuan Qing, who is a handsome, strong, intense, and charismatic leader. I love the colour choices for his costumes. We have well-rounded evil characters, from Gu Jin Zhao's sleazy father (Yin Xiao Tian)and his cunning concubine to the leading court secretaries and ministers such as Fu Hai Lian (Wu Gang), and lastly the child emperor (Jerry Gong), who played his role so well. A young emperor much more confident and skillful in his leadership than any other adult ones I have seen in other dramas. This is the first period drama in which I saw guns used. In fact, the most famous army general (Wang Li), who spent years on the battlefield securing peace for the nation, gets shot during a rebel incident and is never the same again. Episode 14 was exceptional; I nearly cried. All the actors brought it for this episode.



The wives are important. Most of the men, especially the villains, discuss their plans and strategies with their wives. Wang Xuan Fan (Huo Zheng Yan) and his wife (can't find the name of the actress ... still looking)  had well written- LOL-dialogue scenes. The bant was top tier. The husbands are devoted, and I loved to see this. Meanwhile, we have fathers who really should not be parents...

Our FL had more chemistry with the heir apparent. While you can get past it and keep watching till episode 20, where it finally arrives with the ML, in my humble opinion, Gu Jin Zhao and Ye Xian (Winwin) have a more natural chemistry and would probably have made a much more entertaining story, but a different story altogether though. They brought the fire. Winwin steals the show here. Loved his acting, and the family dynamics played really well into his story, and the play on his James Bond-style gadgets was a unique touch.



Awkward shots. I loved the sets and costumes, but the shot angles were awkward, especially in the most important scenes. If you're a regular #cdrama watcher, you understand this one. This drama had everything except those memorable, stunning shots.

I liked the ending. I like the fact that we didn't have multiple rushed scenes closing out the story, just our leaders riding off and a voice-over telling us what happened. Still, the Gu family suddenly disappeared and never really got closure on their storylines.

8 out of 10, and worth your time. I watched it on Viki. 







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Watch I am nobody: A fresh blend of superpowers, emotion, and humour

Saturday, 20 June 2026

 


I subscribe to Drama Tea, and when I saw her recommendation for the second season, I decided to watch season one because it gave me Heroes vibes, and I really enjoyed that series back in the day.

 

Zhang Chu Lan's ( Peng Yu Chang) ordinary life changes when his grandfather's body vanishes, drawing him into the hidden world of "Outsiders." Pursued by the ruthless Sinister Pleasure and encountering the enigmatic Feng Bao Bao (Wang Ying Lu) , he unveils his superpower and delves into his grandfather's past. He soon discovers that Qi Apotheosis, the martial art he inherited, is one of the Eight Supreme Skills sought by many. In a martial arts tournament, he meets Wang Ye, another Outsider, who warns him of his heavy fate. As secrets unravel and a battle between good and evil looms, Zhang and his companions forge bonds as they search for their own sense of righteousness.




Another drama that wins you over immediately with its ensemble cast. The mix of comedy and drama in the fight scenes was effective, and it kept me invested and giggling. You can immediately see this was inspired by comics or anime, with some nods to American-style blockbuster action films. There were also some really good emotional moments, like in episode 16, when the ML is reunited with his grandfather, and a big shout-out to Fu Bo Han who plays the ML during his childhood flashbacks. Great acting. 




I like Wang Ying Lu in this role. I have not managed to finish Yummy, yummy, yummy and When Destiny Brings the Demon. In this role, she is not trying to be funny, but she is. 




I did not understand the powers of our heroes and heroines. For the evil ones, their powers were clear: lust,  greed, jealousy, etc. But what is this Qi Apotheosis? Why does everyone want it? And why were the elders working so hard to squash it? As you can see, I am invested, but I am not sure where the story is going. Maybe they assume the audience is a fan of the books?  Also, some of the wigs were not good, stiff, dull and synthetic-looking, making it hard to take the actor seriously sometimes. I am not sure, maybe the budget? It really distracted from the story. 


I will be watching season 2, and I hear more seasons will be out in stages. If you are looking for something different from the usual period drama or the modern romance, I recommend this one. It is an enjoyable watch that leaves me looking forward to more. 


I watched this on YouTube but you can catch it on YouKu too. 




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Watch New Life Begins - Revisiting an #cdrama ensemble gem with comforting re-watch appeal

Saturday, 13 June 2026

 



This show is a cute comfort watch, and with everything happening in the world, I think we all need something like this from time to time.
I watched this show again after seeing it when it first came out, but I never got around to writing about it. I liked it just as much the second time as I did the first.

In a grand court contest, the unassuming Li Wei (Tian Xi Wei) is unexpectedly chosen to marry Yin Zheng (Bai Jing Ting), the least favoured of the six royal heirs. Initially thrust into a marriage of political convenience, they seem doomed, but they form a genuine connection as they navigate their new roles and learn about each other.
The world-building and storytelling in the beginning episodes is chef's kiss. The way the stop motion animations explain the regions, cultures, and ethnicities really pulls us in. Also, the way in which we are introduced to the ensemble cast and the fact that it becomes clear this drama needs everyone, from princes and princesses to the wives and servants; each actor plays their role well.



This show is really about women, their friendships, rights, and finding freedom. We see women facing struggles in their family homes, in their marriages, and trying to be recognized in the outer world. When they support each other, and have some supportive men as allies, they succeed. It's comforting to watch because you know good will win in the end. There are lots of strong female leads (Chen Xiao Yun, Liu Ling Zi, Fan Shuai Qi, Liu Meng Meng, Chen Zi Han, Smile Hu, Wang Yi Yao) here, and they show strength in many ways—as royal family members, wives, co-wives, mothers, sisters, friends, business partners, and in their communities. There are many layers to this, but the show keeps things light and cute, not too heavy.


Almost everyone in this show is funny except for the crown prince (Edward Zhang), who is the villain. What I like is how the mood shifts right away when the story moves to his home—suddenly, nothing is funny, just cold and tense. Honestly, I think the drama should have ended after his downfall. The fourth prince and his wife tried to plot, but they just couldn't match the crown prince's menacing vibe.


My favourite moments were the third prince's antics. Every time he (Liu Guan Lin) came on screen with his wives, I knew it was going to kick off, but ultimately, when the story twist in episode 23 came and he could understand what he put all his wives through - the build up and the comic timing was fantastic! He has a good story arc in this one.



The actor, Chang Long, who plays the fifth prince often takes on similar roles in other dramas, but this time, along with the slap stick humour, his character had an emotional story arc too. His damaged relationship with his father, the Lord of Xinchuan, was handled really well.



The show gives us a satisfying #cdrama ending: the main couple gets married, and the royal wedding doesn't feel rushed. All the storylines wrap up nicely, and we get a great reunion with all our favourite characters on the palace roof. The pacing of the episodes and the whole story is really well done.

Overall, this show is enjoyable and makes for a comforting re-watch that you can find on all the usual platforms including You Tube.

P.S: Yes it's true that the show takes what have been called problematic historical cultural elements and tries to make them seem cute or funny. If this bothers you, then this probably isn't the right #cdrama for you.



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