Trying Garnier Fructis 1 Minute Hair Masks

Last week, I finished my bottle (100 ml) of Moroccanoil hair treatment. Because the last time I had purchased the product was in May 2018, I presumed the price had inflated since. I don't know whether that's true or because I was shopping downtown, but one place sold it for 49$ CAD, another one for 48,75$ and Sephora was even pricier: 54$.

I put Moroccanoil in my hair every time after washing it (ie. every day except for the weekend where I try to go for 1-2 days without hair wash). A bottle of 100 ml lasted me a little over a year, so it's not like it's a complete waste of money. If I think about the reasons why I use Moroccanoil religiously:

• It helps detangle my hair (most important)
• It makes my hair dry faster
• It's (probably) good for the ends of my hair (IDK but it's oil)
• It makes my hair smell extremely nice (more of a "plus" but still)
• It helps to diminish my hair fall*

*Regarding the last point, I don't think it does, but that's what I've been told by my hairdresser back in 2012 when I started using it. She recommended it to my mom to help reduce my hair shedding (or make my hair stronger thus shed less?) I was told to apply a dollop in the palm of my hand, rub my hands together and massage my scalp. I then apply what's left to my ends. I've been applying Moroccanoil as such since I started using it, even though I've heard that oil shouldn't go on your scalp and yada yada. I admit that it's a bit strange to apply it on the roots rather than the ends when the latter are supposedly the most damaged and the former already have their "natural oils" but anyway. BTW I don't recommend this application method to anyone—just wanted to provide more details about my routine.

Sadly didn't take a full shot to show the pump that prevents

using too much product (but you can always Google it)

I tried to stop using Moroccanoil a couple of times, one being when I found out it contained silicones and everyone was demonizing them, but I realized there are worse things I probably do to my body (like consuming processed, high-sodium foods and being on my phone/computer way too much). Besides, my hair has still grown tremendously while using Moroccanoil, so it can't have had a disastrous impact on my hair, whether because of silicones or because of the way I've been applying it. But the product is still darn expensive.

Which brings me to this question, could I do without Moroccanoil and find a product that would give me similar or identical results?

I have to say that the Honey Treasures Hair Mask by Garnier was a pretty good hair mask. I ceased using it for no particular reason other than the fact I felt I didn't necessarily need it when I already had Moroccanoil. Oddly, I stopped seeing it on the shelves, so I wonder if they discontinued it. (Edit 17.11 pm: I saw the mask at Shopper's Drug Mart & Maxi today... wow I must have been blind. Anyway, I bought one and I'm pretty happy. It smells so good.)

Last Sunday at Shoppers Drug Mart, I saw Garnier had a sale on their 1 minute hair masks. I had never heard about them but the reviews were positive on Amazon.
I bought two masks: the banana one (strengthening) and the coconut one (nourishing). I would have liked to get the papaya one too (repairing), but there wasn't any left.

Garnier claims that each mask is vegan, 94 % biodegradable, free of silicones/parabens/artificial colourants, but these sound too much like marketing words to me. I still bought the masks mainly because:

• They can be used in different ways (mask, conditioner or leave-in conditioner)
• Their qualities appeal to me (eg. strengthening and nourishing)
• Their price (2,99$ CAD) was worth trying the product

Applying the mask & notes

Oct. 20th: In the shower

I decided to try the strengthening mask first as a mask/conditioner.

After my shampoo (always), I applied almost half of the jar on my hair, focusing on the hair at the level of my neck to the ends. I applied the leftover product on the top of my head.
I left the mask on for 1-2 minutes. When rinsing off, my hair didn't have that buttery silk texture like it usually does with a common conditioner, Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle Moist or Garnier's Honey Treasures. It even seemed on the verge of being a tad tangled, but since I had already dug a considerable amount of the container, I didn't add more and just hoped for the best.

Following the shower

I wrapped my hair in a cotton shirt as ordinarily and waited 15-20 minutes before unwrapping it.
I detangled my hair with my fingers. I was more careful because Moroccanoil habitually gives me extra help with this task. I was expecting some knots from what I had been witnessing in the shower, and indeed, it wasn't very easy to detangle. There were 2-3 small knots but thankfully nothing critical.
Then I brushed my hair with my wet brush. Hair shed was typical, though I had detangled my hair more carefully prior to brushing them. I brushed my hair more so that I wouldn't have to brush it as much the following morning, something I normally don't do with Moroccanoil.

My wet hair was as dry as when using Moroccanoil, which hints that the product may not be what causes my hair to dry fast (it's probably the cotton shirt that does 99 % of the job.)

In sum, nothing was very different except for the banana smell, similar to Play-Doh or Haribo banana gummies. It isn't strong to the point of making me nauseous, but it's still there and I really am zero attracted to banana-scented products. Good thing that the smell becomes very subtle the next morning and dissipates completely later in the day (my hair does chase scents away pretty quickly though.)

Oct. 21st: The morning after

Detangling my hair was more difficult than the night before. Two stubborn knots had formed during sleep:

Despite gently trying to detangle the first knot with my brush and my fingers...

... it snapped. (•`ヘ´•)9

The second knot was easier to get rid of fortunately

Other than that, my hair had its normal shine and texture. It was straighter than usual (no weird wavy ends). I believe that's because I had brushed them more thoroughly with the wet brush the night before.

I'm making a slight digression here. It's been more than a month I've been using my TEK brush. It has worked fine so far, but I've recently been recovering from a significant hair fall that persisted for a couple of weeks. I'm usually bad at noticing when my hair falls more than average, but there were definitely more hairballs in the apartment those past weeks. My TEK brush didn't really improved or worsen the situation.

I'm still thinking about what might have made my hair so fragile and inclined to fall during that period. It may have been the change in seasons or the fact that my hairstyle during the whole summer was a low bun secured with a big clip (that undoubtedly tugged my hair a lot).

Other than that, I had just been finishing the Oat Delicacy shampoo & conditioner (Garnier Whole Blends) and the conditioner made my hair brittle and hard to detangle even with Moroccanoil, especially when wet... Weird because I had used that same conditioner during my summer holidays at home and I had noticed less hair shed. Reflecting back, I should have added more conditioner to eliminate the most tangles possible, even if it meant using "too much".

I'm currently on the Avocado Oil and Shea Butter shampoo & conditioner (still Garnier Whole Blends) and the conditioner detangles and smooths my hair much better.

Hair always looks fabulous and thick when freshly brushed.

And I remind that I didn't even straighten my hair.

Weird pic but shows the flyaways (that the mask didn't tame btw)

and somewhat the shine (if there's any)

At the end of the day

During the day, I felt my hair strands becoming greasier and "chunkier" (as usual since HS 💀) However, when I checked in the mirror at the end of the day, I thought it didn't look as bad as I sensed. Fairytale ends were showing, but my hair seemed "thicker" than when I use Moroccanoil. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the ends were still fairly straight. I thought it was because I had brushed my wet hair with my wet brush more thoroughly.

Oct. 21st-22nd: Second use of the banana mask

I applied the 3/4 of the mask that was left in the jar.
Unfortunately, the effects weren't as impressive as when I used it for the first time. Although my hair was easier to detangle (no tough knots) and there wasn't any major hair fall, the ends were a little bit wavy and recourse to the straightening iron was needed. I know that wavy ends are just an aesthetic detail, but I was still somewhat disappointed.

Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures.

Oct. 24th-25th: Trying out the coconut mask (nourishing)

I applied the coconut mask the same way I did for the banana mask (following the shampoo and leaving it on for 1-2 minutes). I can't give a reliable opinion on this one because I added conditioner from the middle of my hair to the ends. In fact, the mask didn't make my hair silky and easy to detangle. My fingers ran through some knots while rinsing and I didn't dare take any risks so I put conditioner which made my hair silky afterward.
I don't know if I'm the only one thinking that, but the coconut mask doesn't smell like coconut at all. It has a rather strong tropical, plastic fruit scent, like mango. I'm neutral about this but I would have preferred a genuine coconut scent.

Finger detangling went well as well as brushing with the wet brush; some little knots but nothing serious. The scalp was a bit itchy though.

The following morning, my hair was easy to brush. My bangs looked particularly nice. However, my scalp still felt itchy from time to time which went on until noon.

At the end of the day, my ends were quite oily and the strands were in chunks. But to be fair, I did touch my hair more during the day (I think):

I really have no idea if this mask was nourishing for my hair... but I expected it to work as a much better conditioner considering its nourishing property and its so-called "coconut" scent.

Because it didn't help detangle my hair (which compelled me to apply conditioner) and because of the off-putting smell it gives it, I won't be buying this mask again (nourishing mask only).

Final verdict (banana mask only)

I probably won't buy this product on a regular basis, essentially because I can only get two good uses out of it. 

In fact, I believe it did do something. Although my hair didn't feel notably stronger, it didn't get worse. I did, however, put additional care as I felt that my hair would be more prone to snaps and breakage. Aside from that, my hair actually seemed slightly less oily than with Moroccanoil by the end of the day. And strangely, the banana scent grew on me.

On the other hand, I can't imagine using a product daily or almost when I can only use it two times until I run out of it. Moreover, it didn't work as good as a conditioner to make my hair silky and easy to detangle (and I was using a good amount of it).

Other tests made during the week

Oct. 22nd-23rd: Last use of the banana mask mixed with conditioner

I applied the rest of the mask in the jar, followed by my conditioner at the moment (Avocado Oil and Shea Butter from Garnier).

My hair was easier to finger detangle when wet and I didn't notice a difference when brushing them the morning after. There weren't knots. I gave in and straightened the ends (that's why I don't like straightening my hair—cuz once I start, I take a liking to it and always find it hard to stop.)

During and at the end of the day, my hair strands turned chunkier and uglier than when I had used the mask for the first time. It was, however, similar to when I use Moroccanoil, so it was kind of a sad "back to reality". I'm considering more and more the fact that Oct. 21st miraculously just happened to be a good hair day.

Oct. 23rd-24th: Only conditioner

I applied my conditioner only, no mask. My fingers were gliding through my hair in the shower. Finger detangling was easy. But that info isn't very relevant because I go through this routine even when I use Moroccanoil. Note that I use Moroccanoil after finger detangling and before using the wet brush.

When I brushed my hair with my wet brush, everything was going well until I came across one obstinate knot that ultimately snapped. It was just bad luck IMO.

The morning after, hair was easy to brush. The ends were wavy and already a bit fairytale. Successfully fought against the desire to straighten my hair.

However, my bangs looked so bad I had to water them (most likely caused because of a bad sleeping position).

At the end of the day, my hair had become chunky like normally:

The truth is, I don't really mind when I have these wavy ends, on the condition that the strands look chunky and a bit oily rather than when they've just been brushed. I just wished that the ends were thicker and not fairytale.
Let's also mention that the same scenario (chunky strands and wavy ends) also always occurs with Moroccanoil. In other words, what I've seen in the short-term, is that my hair is pretty much the same when not using Moroccanoil in terms of looks and manageability. Maybe a daily routine consisting of shampoo & conditioner only is the way to go—as long as you have a good conditioner. I'm so used to Moroccanoil and I realize I was insecure whenever I thought of not using it.

Finally, one last thing: I haven't noted any major hair shed during this "experimenting" week of no Moroccanoil. This was at least something positive.

New Blog Look: Lavender

This was something I had been wanting to do for a really long time: updating my blog theme/layout.

Before (August 27th 2015 – October 13th 2019):

After (October 13th 2019 – September 2nd 2023):

*The white background behind the title may need to be less opaque,

but I'm not in a rush to change it now.

I initiated the design in July. My original plan was to reuse my actual blog layout at the time (now my old layout) because I liked its look and I thought I could easily change it by simply replacing and adding elements (border, header, background, etc.) without having to dig into the HTML in depth.
Apart from the aesthetic stuff, there were elements more related to the interface/navigation I also wanted to change. For example, I wished to add tabs on top of the page and change widgets (notably add my popular posts and remove my blogroll). I also wanted to have only one column instead of two columns surrounding the content. Thinking about how I could apply these changes to my current layout while also changing it as little as possible made me realize I should probably change plans.

I finally decided to use a premade layout and make minor changes to it. In all honesty, I felt a tad meh for not being able to add more custom stuff to it, but if I had chosen that path, I still wouldn't be done and keeping the same layout for another while definitely wasn't an option.

I chose the Picture Window theme. Even though I used a premade layout, the reason why it took so long to deliver the final product was solely because of the background. I began to draw it in July (the lavenders) and finished it yesterday on October 13th lmao (I didn't work on it every day since July though, thank God.) The border with the hearts in it was the final thing left to draw.
Although the background looks simple, I had a lot of difficulties designing it. This is like the 16th version without counting other ones deleted. Coming up with ideas wasn't easy, and then trying to draw what I had in mind was frustrating at times. Drawing one single leaf was in itself a big task for me. 💀

I was inspired to have a lavender theme blog because of a coord Fi.n.t posted this summer:

source

(It was actually another picture of the same coord,

but I could no longer find the source so I chose this pic instead.)

I loved the purple x beige pairing. On the picture I had seen, a lighter filter had been applied which made the blouse look paler and the coord look even prettier.
Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to buy the blouse (I waited too long), but it did give me inspiration for my background. It may look awkward right now since we're approaching winter (and it isn't the blooming season for lavender fields) but I don't think it's highly problematic.

I tried to not only use purples in my background and experiment with different colours such as deep blue and wine red, but I wasn't able to create something harmonious. I should probably work on varying colours better.
Apart from that, I miss my cookie border from my old layout a little bit and I wish I was able to add a cuter header with scalloped lace on both sides. However, I'm quite satisfied with the appearance overall. It looks soft and relaxing. I was so tired of seeing my tacky desserts on top of the page. The colours really didn't fit my taste anymore. Also, the navigation (tabs) and the organization of the widgets are so much better, everything looks cleaner now. And because applying the new layout involved transforming one blog post into a page, I actually managed to make this post my 100th blog post ✨ (which was my goal initially).

Clothes and TEK Brush

My 100th blog post ✨ I had planned it to be another one, but reality went otherwise. Oh well.
*Edit on Oct. 14th 2019 cuz I actually made the post I wanted to be the 100th one.

*Edit on Feb. 27, 2026 cuz after making some changes to my blog, the post linked above is no longer my 100th one.

This post is a bit messy, but let's say it's a haul from stuff I got since the beginning of September.

Clothes

Forest Green Cardigan

I received this cardigan from my mom. I had tried it on during my summer holidays and it fit amazing with my An3 green check retro skirt. However, it was regularly priced at 29,99$ CAD and I wasn't fond enough to buy it. When my mom went to buy it, she expected to pay this price, but instead got it 50 % off for an unexplained reason. I guess both of us had a nice surprise. :-)

Skirt, top and belts from Mia Mix

Last week, I returned to Mia Mix and bought other cute pieces. They're practically the only shop here that carries this type of cute-retro clothes, and it's hard to resist buying when it's so accessible unlike buying online from Japan.

Houndstooth skirt

When I first visited the store, I wanted to try this skirt along with a beige plaid one I was pretty sure of purchasing. However, I decided to take things slowly and only try one skirt (the beige one which I ended up buying). Since I was satisfied with my first purchase, when I came back, I tried on this houndstooth skirt I had still been thinking about.

Zoom in on the pattern

I was pleased with the fit. The waistband is tighter than my beige skirt that I find a little bit loose. Also, the houndstooth skirt doesn't flare as much as the beige one. I like this "narrower" cut because it fits better with flats (I feel I can only wear the beige skirt with pumps; otherwise it looks too big on me.) I also like the fact that the skirt can be paired with almost anything which makes it a great day-to-day piece. I hope they'll have the same model in other patterns in the future because I love it.

Lol... a button fell off the first time I wanted to wear the skirt.

But it's okay, I sewed it back.

3/4 Sleeve Blue Top

This top was displayed in the shop window with the beige skirt I had bought on my first visit and I thought it looked nice. Moreover, I knew I could also pair it with my houndstooth skirt. I admit it's quite a plain top, and the hems (sleeves and bottom) look kind of ratchet, but I don't mind. I like its simplicity and if I ever want to wear a tank top with a frilly collar under, I think it would look lovely.

Diamond Flower Belt

I was looking for a narrow belt to pair with my houndstooth skirt and I instantly loved this one when I tried it on. Sadly, some of the diamonds are cloudy (I'm not sure why—other than because it's a little bit cheap—but most of the belts in the store have small defects or look used.) I mentioned it to the shop seller and she generously proposed to give it to me as a "gift" if I'd buy the houndstooth skirt and the blue top (which I did).

Grey Bow Belt

I had been eyeing this grey belt from time to time while trying on other belts, but since it was on a shop model, I didn't dare to ask if I could try it on. Plus, I somewhat forgot about it when I found the flower belt. I don't know whether it's because one of the shop sellers saw me looking at it or because she has a sixth sense, but when I finished trying on the belts, she removed the grey belt from the model and asked me if I wanted to try it. I did, and as I imagined, it looked charming. The only downside is that I can't sit for a long time when wearing it with my houndstooth skirt, or it feels way too tight on my waist...

Haircare

TEK Brush

Although I had heard a lot of great things about TEK brushes on the Internet, I was hesitant to get one because of the price. Moreover, I didn't feel there was an urgency in changing brushes. I had been brushing my hair for the past 10 years with a plastic one from Zellers and even though I shed a lot of hair each time, I never suspected my brush to be the major culprit.

My old brush

During my summer holidays at home, however, I noticed my hair shed a lot less. I have no idea why. This is even weirder since I also have a cheap plastic brush at home, yet there was considerably less hair fall and less hair on the brush. I came to realize my brush from Zellers may have been the reason for some severe hair shedding and breakage, or at least, may have worsened it. So I made the move and bought a TEK brush on Calia here—RIP bank account. I was originally going for the paddle brush but finally went with the oval one since Calia didn't carry the paddle brush with regular pins. Looking back, I don't regret it as the oval brush is just the right size for my head and my hair thickness.

Benefits of the brush

I find the benefits listed are not that unique from other brushes, but they probably offer more than what my plastic brush did. The "antistatic" characteristic got me pretty excited and I'm eager to see if it truly works since I always look like I just touched a plasma ball during fall and winter.

I've been using the brush for about two weeks now, and it's okay. I still shed a lot of hair with it—I'd say the same amount as before I got it. I also remarked that my hair texture feels different after being brushed, like silkier, but that sometimes makes it more prone to tangling. I'm a bit confused.
All in all, the brush is not bad nor does it do a significantly better job than my old brush. However, two weeks may be too premature to come to a conclusion. Maybe the effects will be more noticeable long-term. Anyway, here's a pic of my hand holding the brush to give you a glimpse of its size (the dimensions are also given on the brush's page):

And finally, posting here an update of my hair length as of August 9th, so a little more than a month ago:

(My apologies for the dirty shoes...)

I was quite satisfied with how much had grown since my last hair update on my blog—until I saw the last picture I had posted and didn't feel there was that much of a difference... anyway. I guess measuring my hair would give me a more precise indicator of how much it grew, but frankly, I try to not scrupulously keep track of it, or else I'm gonna become obsessed. Right now, I'd say it's not mid-thigh yet, but it's a bit past classic. It's been tempting to cut the ends as they've begun to turn fairytale, but I've been resisting...

Thrift haul (& online shopping rant)

(Rant alert 🔔 for the first two paragraphs)
There are a lot of nice vintage clothes for sale on Etsy, but damn, it is expensive. I've seen a lot of skirts labelled "vintage" being sold 40$+ CAD. Most blouses are also 30$+ CAD. I didn't know vintage fashion online was that pricey. Some skirts are even stained or damaged (which is understandable because vintage is secondhand), but the seller still prices them very high. Is it normal or are most vintage items on Etsy overpriced? Add to that the shipping fees. This explains why I haven't bought anything (yet?) from the website. I concede I bought some expensive secondhand Liz Lisa pieces on Fril and Mercari, so maybe I'm being biased cuz the clothes on Etsy are not jfashion...

As for shopping in person, I'm pretty sure Montreal is home to cool thrift stores. I've looked them up on the Internet since they are hardly accessible by subway and I didn't want to bother going on multiple buses for nothing. That was a good idea because my research wound up disappointing. Not only the stores don't carry the type of clothes I'm looking for, but the prices are almost as costly. I do plan on going to some Value Village stores near my place, but that's all.

During the first two weeks of August, I took two weeks off from work and spent my summer vacations in my hometown. 🌿 I never believed the city where I had grown was gushing vintage stuff but it seems like it has more potential than I thought. I visited a couple of thrift stores, including the ones from charitable organizations such as The Salvation Army. The thrift stores where I found vintage/retro pieces in my style were actually places like these.

So here is my haul. I also indicated the prices (all in CAD) so you can assess the price contrast between buying vintage online versus in-person. Following this experience, I'm not too keen on buying vintage from online sellers anymore, especially on Etsy (of course, exceptions would be made when it's a really unique piece—free shipping would help too). And note that this thinking doesn't apply to retro pieces sold brand new in online stores.

I'm still away from my apartment, but I decided to take the pictures with my current phone. Although the quality is inferior to my former phone, it's undoubtedly better than what you get with the old Fujifilm camera.

Thrift store #1

Floral pleated skirt — 1$

Granted, this skirt may not be vintage, but I liked it the moment I saw it. The pictures don't really do it justice as the colours are more vibrant in real life (similar to the pic below).
What I liked about this skirt were the flowers in three different colours: violet, forest green and some grey-ish green/yellow. Coords ideas instantly flowed in my head (e.g. white sailor blouse from Fi.n.t with a purple or forest green cardigan and a round buckle belt).

I admit I wouldn't have bought it for 5$+, but for 1 buck this was definitely a steal.

My mom gave me this eggplant purple belt she had in her closet.

It goes perfectly with the skirt. ✨

I also really liked this blouse (0.50$ !!) but it was way too big for me:

I returned to that thrift store one week later, and sadly the blouse was gone...

Thrift store #2

Vintage blouses in red, grey and white — 3 for 5$

N.B. All three blouses were too big on me, so they were altered by my mother to fit me better.

Blouse #1

The colour of this blouse wasn't picked up correctly on my phone, but it's a very deep red. The condition is mint as if the previous owner barely wore it. I had been looking to add more colours into my wardrobe and this red wine piece will look nice with my Mia Mix beige plaid skirt or a navy one. I also liked the hidden button placket with a sole button placed where the collar.

Strangely, I had assumed that this blouse wouldn't be so big on me until I tried it on properly at home. It is actually the loosest among the three blouses; the waist, the sleeves circumference as well as their length were all adjusted. The shoulder seams were also shortened with an elastic on each side. Finally, the sleeve buttons had to be moved so that the sleeves (a bit too long) wouldn't cover my hands. The total length of the blouse is a wee bit long, but I tuck it inside a skirt anyway.

Shoulder seams were tightened with an elastic such as the yellow blouse.

This was also done for blouse #3. I absolutely love this tip.

Blouse #2

I love the colour of this blouse as it's very peculiar, like an icy grey. I plan on pairing it with dark-coloured bottoms.

In terms of size, the blouse is short but wide, so the waist had to be reduced as well as the circumference of the sleeves.

Blouse #3

When I first tried on this blouse, I wasn't fond of it. I don't remember exactly why, but I didn't think it looked great on me. It was actually my mom who talked me into getting it. Well, I'm so happy I listened to her because it is probably my favourite blouse out of the three. It fits extremely well. I can fasten the top button and it still looks really pretty. As for the size, the length is perfect and the waist + sleeves circumference had to be only slightly altered.

Ending this post with a picture of a piece of forest cake from Walmart. I feared it would taste like chemicals, but actually, it tastes AMAZING:

An another angelus FIRST Haul

Isn't it crazy how you can find something ordinary, only to be in awe for it a while later (and vice-versa)?

I discovered Fi.n.t around the same time I got into jfashion (circa fall 2016). I saw the brand on IG and then followed it, but I only had eyes for Liz Lisa. I did like a couple of Fi.n.t's posts, but in general, I found their coords plain and boring and eventually unfollowed them. 💔

Around the beginning of July, I don't remember how exactly, but I came to like Fi.n.t again, even more so than when I had first followed them on IG. I think this has to do with a variety of reasons. The ones I can think of right now are:

• Discovering longer skirts with the Liz Lisa gingham cafe one. Not only they fit me nicer than I thought, but the length is also much more suitable where I work.
• Being more inspired by vintage fashion from the 1960s and before (I always wanted to transition towards this style, but I thought it'd be around my 30s... lol).
• Watching Mad Men and falling in love with the ladies' outfits (esp. Peggy and Betty).

Fi.n.t and An another angelus

Fi.n.t really caters to my interests and needs. The brand is retro (hence makes longer skirts) and is mature, yet still youthful and feminine. 🌼 I love the embroidery work on some tops like this blouse, the below the knee plaid skirts and how you can create colourful outfits by mixing and matching their tops and bottoms. Their coords on IG look amazing. ✨

I've been saying "Fi.n.t" since the beginning while there's also An another angelus (abbreviated An3). From what I understand, the latter is a sister brand of the former. However, it seems like Fi.n.t is the "main" brand (or used to be) because clothes from both brands are exposed on fint-shop, fint-blog, fint official, etc. (An3 still has its own IG and Twitter though.)

That being said, I'm not an expert so I'll refer you to this page and this page if you want to know more about Fi.n.t and An3.

As amazing as their collections are, I noted they are recycling items from past collections (that were slightly or tremendously modified). In some way, I think this is great because if an item was really popular in the last collection, you can buy it in a similar (and maybe better) version the year after. In another way, sometimes the change is so insignificant that it's kind of a bummer to have to pay full price (or wait for weeks 'till it goes on sale) for an almost exact copy of an item from practically last year's collection. Or to see an item from last collection being branded as an item from this seasons' collection. Seems to happen the most to skirts and cardigans.

Example 1 (similar skirts):

SS2018

ハンドペイントギンガムチェックスカート/an another angelus

SS2019

チェックプリントタックスカート/an another angelus

I like these kinds of changes. Both skirts share the same retro check concept, but the belt and the colours are still clearly different. I wouldn't mind owning a skirt from each collection.
This reminds me of Liz Lisa's strawberry OPs in 2016 and 2017.


Example 2 (almost the same skirt):

AW2016

アンティークベルト付きパウダリーフレアースカート/an another angelus

AW2019

レリーフ金具ベルト付きフレアースカート/an another angelus

This belt-skirt design seems a classic with Fi.n.t and An3. I've seen it released in multiple variations (colours + belt style) through the years while foraging for their past releases. Here, the belt barely changed. The colour looks a bit browner in the most recent release, but that's all. I compared the 2016 skirt with the 2019 one, but I'm certain it has been released similarly in 2017 and 2018 also.

Maybe I'm overreacting because LL also does that; I noticed several of their OPs have a repetitive design/style, it's merely the print that changes. I know Ank Rouge also has really similar tops coming back each new arrival. I don't know why the practice struck me with Fi.n.t and seemed to give me a more negative impression of the brand...

Purchases I had planned

Despite wanting to raid the store's summer collection, I kept my composure and tried to make a strict selection. The fact that the embroidery blouse in lavender got sold out "helped" because I didn't buy anything else afterwards. In fact, I had planned to pair the blouse with three other skirts, but when I learnt that it was sold out, I was much less enthusiastic about purchasing the skirts.

Embroidery blouse in lavender

ラベンダー刺繍シャツブラウス/an another angelus

I also intended to buy these sailor tops in white and black but decided I could instead try to DIY them:

Sailor top in black

レーススカーフ衿テレコT/F i.n.t

My actual purchases with DEJAPAN

I bought three items from the brand An3—one from Fi.n.t's official store (on July 10th) and two from Fi.n.t's store on Rakuten (on July 10th and 11th). I ordered through DEJAPAN. I made a dumb (voluntary) mistake and purchased the three items individually without checking the option to consolidate the items. I hadn't checked the int'l shipping fees and thought I was being smart for shipping each item individually and not having to pay 100 JPY for each consolidated item. 🤓 But once the moment came, I found out there was a minimum shipping fee even if your item weighed less than the minimal shipping cost. So instead of paying something like 2 720 JPY for three items (+ 300 JPY for consolidation), I paid 3 x 2 000 JPY lol FML. 💀 But—and knocking on wood—I usually learn pretty well from my mistakes so I shall not make it again.

Also, my apologies for these dark pictures. I forgot my phone at my apartment and resorted to using an old camera to snap these.

Puff sleeve top in ivory コルセットパフスリーブT/an another angelus

Although I was interested in this top, I was a bit skeptic because the price was 50% off (it was one of the few shirts with such a good sale price at the time), the sleeves looked too big and not a lot of people seemed to have bought it despite the good deal. I still bought it because of the price and because I thought it would go extremely well with this skirt I had planned on purchasing:

南フランス柄ベルト付きギャザースカート/an another angelus

I ended up not buying the skirt because of the lavender blouse I didn't get. I had already bought the top when I made that decision, so I was a bit disappointed. Despite this, I figured the top could otherwise look good with a brown skirt or other colours like deep purple, navy, forest green, etc.

When I received the top, my doubts vanished. The quality is really good. 💕 The fabric is a little bit thick and elastic which is a nice difference from the usual polyester fabric that always carries a lot of static.

I feel I can wear this top both tucked in skirts or untucked with pants. Although the description on the website says the top is ivory, it looks more like beige. I expected it though since I had previously seen try-on pictures of it.

Green check retro skirt チェックプリントタックスカート/an another angelus

I immediately loved this skirt when I saw it—it gives such retro vibes. Look at that green check skirt on the right that looks like the one from An3:

source

Close-up of the belt

The skirt has stretch in the back plus a zipper and two hooks on the side

With the puff sleeve top. Really like the fit of both pieces.

The bust area is a little tight, but a snap would easily solve the issue.

Sailor 3/4 sleeve blouse in white マリンタイカラー5分袖ブラウス/an another angelus

I really like 3/4 sleeve tops and sailor collars, so naturally, I wanted this piece. Because it's white, I knew I could pair it with anything.

The sailor knot is made simply by buttoning

I absolutely love this blouse. 💗

I can wear it with a skirt as well as with pants of any colour.

Onto Fi.n.t's AW2019 collection...

Fi.n.t started to release some items from their upcoming collection and nothing is on my radar yet. I feel relieved in some way because it means I won't spend or won't be tempted to too much. Nonetheless, I plan on purchasing a few Fi.n.t and An3 items from past collections, on Fril (preferably) and Mercari. 💸