#jikan kincho

[thepmmmwitchproject]

The Create-a-human Challenge has ended!

The deadline has been reached (albeit a day late, sorry about that!) and want to thank everyone who participated in it! 

I present to you the finished collage featuring all of the submitted Puella Magis, all drawn by me!

Here’s the each of the character listed from top left to bottom right:

Juno Akazeri: Puella Magi of Gnoll, the witch of hyenas. Creator is @bearwithbandages  

Hinadzuki Hirumi: Puella Magi of Pheratz, the galaxy witch. Creator is @skarpetkowa​

Mariabella DuPont: Puella Magi of Myrsina, the witch of Snow White. Creator is @honestlyboringperson​

Fumiko Fujisaki: Puella Magi of Harsha, the playground witch. Creator is @tom0w0​

Kou Kurumi: Puella Magi of Varna, the witch of rainbows. Creator is @witchmagia​ 

Bertie Hart: Puella Magi of Morpheus, the witch of dark humor. Creator is @shitposterxdxdxd

Aminta Ariti: Puella Magi of Unukalhai, the witch of snakes. Creator is @portalcartoon

Joshua and Aubrey Carter: Puella Magi of Benanka, the witch of Burning Man, and Momo, the witch of magical girls, respectively. Creator is @viaticdionysus7  

Mahin Charmchi: Puella Magi of Austerlitz, the witch of musical numbers. Creator is @moshi-roulette​

Kei Sinclair: Puella Magi of Marley, the witch of alcohol. Creator is @thevideogameraptorboggle-blog

Jikan Kinchō: Puella Magi of Daksine, the groundhog witch. Creator is @sharpednails​

Charlie Auclair: Puella Magi of Pierre, the witch of pigeons. Creator is @emo-bunny-1317

You can view each of the participants’ original art piece with this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/194bkAjWcMKA5EvVfw9uQi2Gmvv-Pg0SqLoW-ZJ0TNoY/edit

I would love to do this challenge again in the future! Thanks once again to everyone who participated!! Expect a lot of witches soon! I’ve been procrastinating on that, and I know you all must craving some new stuff.

[photograpia]

12 Japanese Pharmacy Favorites

A little self-care goes a long way.

I’ve been in medical school for about three and a half years now and am always worried about the effects of academic and adulting demands on my health. As much as possible, I try to schedule in at least half an hour everyday for quiet time for myself- taking care of my skin, my mental health, and preparing for sleep- what little of it can be had, anyway.

It has also been a blessing to find a second family in Japan in these last few years and through them, learned innovative ways to care for these concerns- just by picking up the right products in the drugstore! I often get asked about what products I would recommend to friends visiting Japan, and figured after forever to finally sit down and write a short list of my favorites. These are some things I highly recommend you pick up next time you find yourself in the land of the rising sun:

1. Perfect Whip: I’ve used this cleanser for almost 3 years now, and believe it does a great job at keeping my skin clean. It’s called perfect whip for a good reason- you take a dollop of the cleanser and whip it up with a little water until it looks like heavy whipped cream. Not sure about the precise science, but I do feel like the whip consistency is so much gentler on the skin. Also in photo: Perfect Double Wash, which I plan to try after my whip stash runs out. Hope it’s a good alternative to double cleansing with multiple products. 

2. COW Beauty Soap: I am very sensitive about scents in general, so when I find something that is subtle and not cloying but still smells clean, I stick to it. I was at a pharmacy in Chiba when I picked up my first blue box of Cow beauty soap. The Cow brand was founded in 1909 in Kyoshinsha, Japan, and has been an icon in Japanese hygiene since. It comes in two variants- rose (red box) and jasmine (blue box) and is loaded with great moisturizers like milk fat. This is the closest thing I’ve tried that makes your skin baby soft, and it’s at a great price point- only 108 yen.

3. Naturie Skin Conditioner: I am constantly in pursuit of the perfect toner that wont dry my skin out. This Hatomuji Toner is made of pearl barley or job’s tears, which has long been used for medicinal purposes. I like that it has kept my skin breakout-free since I’ve started using it, and am excited to try the skin conditioning gel- reminds me a lot of all the new hydrogels on the market. 

4. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel: My mom and grandmother both look at least a decade younger than they actually are, and what they both attribute to this is coconut oil and sunblock. So when I entered my 20s, I decided early prevention was best and embarked on the mission to find the perfect sunscreen. I’ve tried almost 20 brands over the years, but finally found my matches in the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel and Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50 PA++++.  I have probably gone through four bottles of this since I first tried the watery gel and wear it all over every single day, even when I’m just working from home. I love that it has the absolute lightest consistency, doesn’t leave a white cast, and is protective against UVA and UVB rays. Holiest of the holy grail in my beauty regimen.

5. Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50 PA ++++. Unlike most sunscreens, this does not have alcohol in it, and for this reason it is what I use the most for my face. A little thicker than the Biore BUT much smoother in consistency, it is also light and leaves a nice dewy, glowy finish. This mermaid gel claims to have 85% of beneficial skin ingredients including hyaluronic acid, job’s tears, cherry leaf extract and other botanical extracts.

6. Shiseido Water in Lip Balm in Mint: I am the type of girl who keeps lip balm in every purse and the most intensively hydrating one by my bedside. I was using Vaseline’s lip treatment in Crème Brulee at night for a long time but was starting to get really annoyed with how greasy and tacky it left my lips in the morning. I bought the Water in Lip balm on my last trip to Japan and regretted immediately only having bought one. Intensely moisturizing, not greasy, and refreshing- my nightly regimen feels incomplete without reaching for this. Also makes for an excellent lipstick primer, especially when working with mattes. 

7. KAO Megurhythm Steam Hot Eye Mask: I am the type of person who has a really hard time sleeping on planes. It’s usually because I’m cold intolerant and simultaneously always so excited to travel, so I can end up watching an entire season of a new show or six films on a long haul. That all changed when I found these MAGICAL eye masks. They’re paper mask that you unfold over your eyes that magically give the effect of a hot towel without the wetness. So wonderfully relaxing, I can’t travel without them anymore.

8. Kincho Heating Pads: The ultimate dysmenorrhea buster, ensuring pain-free days and the nicest warmth in the most discreet way. I usually go all-natural for rough red days (my lavender heating pillow is a godsend) but when I’m in school or need to be out for long periods with no access to a kettle or microwave, these have become absolutely essential.

9. Kyusoku Jikan Cooling Leg and Food Gel Pads: On my very first trip to Japan, I was so excited to sightsee Osaka that I walked a total of 32,000 steps in a day. Naturally I came home with swollen ankles and sore legs, and could barely walk the next morning. I mustered the strength to walk to the nearby convenience store that morning with every intention of buying painkillers, but found this aqua box with refreshed looking legs on the packaging. I bought these Kyousoku Jikan Cooling Leg Pads instead, slapped them on the back of my calves, and proceeded to walk another 18,000 steps that day. 

It was like a miracle. Since then I always make sure to stock up on these. They’re incredibly effective- it’s like they suck the tiredness out of sore muscles. The Cooling Foot Gel Pads were a recent discovery on a trip to Tokyo. They work just like the leg pads, but have acupuncture points for the soles. Not going to lie, they feel like 100 tiny sharp points poking at your feet at the start (do not walk with them on), but they really do wonders for painful soles at the end of a long day. 

10. Kinomegumi Natural Foot Detox Relax Sheet Pads in Lavender: In the spirit of transparency- I don’t really believe in Japanese detox foot pads, or at least that strapping a pad to the sole of your foot can really rid your body of toxins. I do believe though in the power of both temperature regulation and aromatherapy, so the lavender pads’ claim to help with stress really does work in my case. Whether it’s because I sleep better when warm and cozy or am really susceptible to the calming effects of lavender I will never know, but what I am sure of is that these really help me sleep. 

11. Cough and Cold Warriors-Meiji Iodine Gargling Solution, Nazal Nasal Spray Pump, Nodonool Sore Throat Spray: Climate change in Manila is unkind to the allergy-prone, and can result in chronic sniffles. I personally am super atopic and have a ton of allergies, so I’ve learned to listen to my body and attack with preventive measures as soon as I can. Being a medstudent, I am also slowly realizing that it’s important to use medicine when really needed and according to prescribed use. So I am grateful to have found these more natural medicine cabinet staples that I really use at the onset of any attack of a cough or cold. 

12. Ammeltz Yoko Yoko and Cura Heat Patches: In many ways I am a Tita, but in many ways I am also a little old lady. At the onset of any muscle aches or spasms, my family has learned to reach for our bottles of Ammeltz Yoko Yoko, which has become as integral to our homeopathic home health care as Arnica gel used for bruises. For days when we lift too much and our weakened rotator cuffs- all injured from a myriad of events- act up, the Cura Heat Patches are perfectly designed to cover all the spots where lamig or those nasty lactic acid deposits settle in. 

All these can be bought in any Japanese pharmacy or drugstore. I’ve found that the best prices are at Don Quijote, Welcia Drugstore (Japan’s version of CVS, my personal favorite), or Matsumoto Kiyoshi. Avoid buying them at the airport or in tourist department stores as much as possible- prices tend to be significantly higher. 

If you’ve made it to the end of this list, I hope you’ve found something new to try! Would also appreciate recommendations- what are your favorite Japanese health or beauty buys? 

[thepmmmwitchproject]

It’s still a very good design! Love the time motifs!

Create-a-Human Design Challenge!

This blog has been for a bit now, and I've since catalogued many witches that people have asked for. So, I've decided to host challenge contest! The challenge is simple, design a human form any designed witch so far on the blog.

The prerequisites are:

-The human form does not have to a pubescent girl, it can be an adult woman, a teen boy, an old man, or an alien from another planet. As long as it makes sense with the witch.

-The human form shouldn't be just a gijinka of the witch. -There are few witches you cannot use: -Aldebaran and Antares, these witches are extradimensional beings, they have been witches since birth -Joe, Joe shall remain an enigma in the witch community haha. -You can design a doppel, but it's not necessary.

The due date is to be March 14th, I can push the date if it not long enough! Do comment the witch you'll design so it doesn't end up with like 5 people designing the same witch. After the challenge, I'll (try to) draw all of the characters in an art piece!