My Japanese Dollar Store Haul (and some Valentine's Day pics)

So as I mentioned in my post from yesterday, Mr. G and I went out for the day and hit up several Japanese markets to get some things to make ourselves a yummy sushi dinner for Valentine's Day. We went to Marukai/Daiso (the Japanese dollar store--everything's actually $1.98) and also Mitsuwa and a few other places. And you know I hit up the beauty aisles at every store, so I wanted to share with you what I got!
From Marukai/Daiso (the dollar store where everything's $1.98)

My favorite, favorite cotton puffs! They are sooooo soft and sturdy. Love 'em for nail polish, eye makeup remover and toners.

When I first saw this I was like, "What in the heck? It looks like an ear!" and the tagline at the bottom didn't help me to understand it any better: "The Raid Article of the Nail" Huh? I totally giggled at that translation and of course it made me wonder what they were trying to say. But then I looked closer and I saw that on the side of the plastic there is a little metal strip where you can file your nail. How cool! I became totally obsessed with it and I had to have it after that. I hope it works!

And of course I hit up the nail polish section! From left to right: Winmax New York Pedicure Nail Enamel (shade unknown), LA Colors Nail Lacquer in Lemon Ice, Winmax New York Pedicure Nail Enamel (shade unknown).

Let's start with the Winmax shades. I love how the bottles look like guitars! Also, I've been wanting some micro-glitter top coats to put over my purples and reds, so I was really stoked to find such pretty ones at the dollar store. The purple shade is loaded with plum and multi-colored micro-glitter while the red shade is just pure red multi-glitter. Love! As for Lemon Ice, well I have yet to find a yellow that works for me so I'm hoping that this one does the job because it's tinged with just the slightest drop of green. It's super pretty in person and I can't wait to try it. If any of you already own Lemon Ice, let me know what you think of it!

This is an assortment of nail art brushes and it comes with varying sizes (different thicknesses and lengths) of brushes, which I am hoping will finally enable me to achieve a nail art look that doesn't appear to have been done by a 4-year-old. Fingers crossed.

Next, at Marukai Living, which is more of a home furnishings store but has a HUGE beauty department, I snagged a Japanese version of L'Oreal's Scrublet for $4.98:

A lovely reader informed me that she saw scrublet-type tools on a trip to Asia recently, so I am SO glad I remembered to look for these--and found one at Marukai Living-- because I'm really curious how they perform when compared to my beloved Scrublet. Yes, you don't get a bottle of cleanser with it, but I am intrigued by the shape of this one because--as you can see--it's got a little circular end to it that looks like it will be very helpful in getting into tight areas like the sides of your nose. I'll definitely keep you posted on how it performs.

And now I'd like to share with you a few pics of what we ate last night for Valentine's Day! We made sushi after buying our supplies at Mitsuwa, and while I cannot take credit for actually assembling, rolling or cutting these sushi rolls (Mr. G did all of that--he is awesome at making sushi!) I did cook the rice and cut some of the veggies and make the dynamite sauce, and I also cheered him on while he was making the rolls.

Food Stylist: Mr.G

I LOVE how he styled this plate, and I have to say I am quite impressed with his ability to make sushi, complete with sesame seeds and everything. These were tasty and I actually got a stomach ache because I ate them too fast. I couldn't stop myself.

And for dessert, we ran out of time and didn't make it to the Asian bakeries like we had wanted to, so we grabbed some pastries in a little Valentine's Day display at Mitsuwa, and we also got some frozen treats:

Clockwise from the top: Lychee Sorbet, Milk Land cake rolls, Calpis Ice Bars, Vanilla Dessert Waffles

Let me just say that I was so incredibly excited to see Calpis Ice Bars at Mitsuwa, because I am FREAKING OBSESSED with their milk-flavored soft candy:

"Calpis soft candy makes you happy." YES IT DOES!

I'm eating a piece of this yummy candy as I type this, and I am SO happy to report that the Calpis Ice Bars are just as tasty as the soft candies!

About the other desserts: Mr. G is obsessed with lychee-flavored anything so he picked out the sorbet, and OMG those pastries! The white cake rolls are little pieces of heaven, I tell you! The cake is so light and airy, and the filling is like a creamy, cheese-cake type flavor. YUM. Mr. G picked out the Dessert Waffles and they were pretty darn amazing as well. Little fluffy waffles with a whipped-cream flavored filling.

Whew! That's it for my Valentine's Day report. I hope you enjoyed it! Oh, I almost forgot! In case you were wondering what Mr. G got me for Valentine's Day, while I was getting ready yesterday morning, he took my car and got my oil changed and filled my gas tank. That might not be romantic to some of you, but for me, it was the best gift ever. I hate getting my oil changed, and I hate going to the gas station, so having him do BOTH for me was incredibly romantic and thoughtful. :)

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, and I'll be back later today with another post and responses to your comments. I hope you had a great weekend, and please feel free to share what you did and/or what you got for Valentine's Day in the comments! I'd love to hear all about it!