🦄Unboxing Bubble Wrapp, Xbox layoffs + jelly makeup brushes

🎁 A little store with a large community

On the corner of Westport Road, you’ll find a teeny tiny shop full of teeny tiny boxes dubbed Bubble Wrapp. This is the spot in the Kansas City metro for buying blind box toys – mystery boxes filled with collectible figurines. 

Blind boxes aren’t a new phenomenon (anyone remember Wonder Balls?), but they are currently very popular, especially with Gen Z. Pop culture grabbed ahold of the craze thanks to beloved characters like Labubu.

And geeky peeps find their way into the blind box community through a myriad of ways but, for many, a love of Japanese culture & anime serves as their entry point since blind boxes, gacha machines, and the like are often imports from Japan.

“We have regularly worked with an artist who goes by Art Junkie. He’s a Japanese sofubi artist,” store owner Kitty told me.  “Also, on the third shelf, Chompton – he’s an artist based out of LA – makes those cute little robots.”

Kitty continued to describe the figurines and their origin stories. Some artists she found by collecting their works, prompting her to reach out and ask for collaboration. Others, like one remote couple that only speaks Japanese, she found on Instagram and slid into their DMs. 

It quickly became clear that this wasn’t an ordinary toy shop. Bubble Wrapp wasn’t like any of those big box stores with dolls haphazardly crammed throughout. No, this was a little store, for little boxes, filled with a lot of heart.

It was an art gallery in a different form. 

Kitty said that it wasn’t just her custom curated blind box toys that were created by artists. Well-known figurines, too, are often a collaboration between a big company like Pop Mart and independent artists; some are even sculptures of artists’ original characters. 

Which means you, humble blind box enthusiast, are an art collector. You are building your own collection of masterpieces.  

Micro Byte: American blind box toy culture is an extension of the Lowbrow Art Movement, aka Pop Surrealism.

🎮Weekly Release Radar

Monday, June 23

Nanomon Virtual Pet • $14.99 • Unleash your nurturing beast, so you can raise a pixelated plaything. Make sure you tame them with plenty of love. If you neglect them they may grow up weak or ugly.
PC

Wednesday

My Cozy Room (additional platforms release) • $8.99 • Design & decorate your own space until you feel as cozy as possible.
PC, PS 5, Switch, Xbox Series X

Thursday, June 26

Ruffy and the Riverside • $19.99 • SWAP your way to victory. Use your magical power to SWAP with practically everything you see to accomplish your feats in this mixed 2D and 3D platformer.
PC, PS 4/5, Steam, Switch, Xbox One/Series X

Friday

Tamagotchi Plaza • $39.99 • Interact with all the friends in this Tamagotchi town. Enjoy activities like sipping tea, treating cavities, and making eyeglasses.
Switch, Switch 2

Sunday, June 29

Caravanners: Co-op Open World Camping • $TBA • Hit the road, jack. And take your friends with you in your fully customizable caravan. Explore everything from forests to junkyards to islands to farms to dumps.
PC (early access)

Jelly makeup brushes $14.32

Remember jelly sandals? These makeup brushes are on sale and remind me of that childhood staple. Plus, they're highly rated and low cost -- perfect for a modest beauty budget.

Brush Up Your Make-up

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