Lolita Challenge 3- 10 Things I Hate in Lolita!

Hello everyone! Today its all about ten things that I hate in Lolita. While that is a hard topic, there are a few things that I can say I "dislike", more than actually hate.

Let's get to it!

1. I really dislike Lolita dresses that are Empire-waist style. I have nothing against other Lolitas who wear the style, some pull it off so well, but it just gives me the overall appearance of looking super pregnant. It has never looked good to me, and even though I unfortunately own a couple of dresses in that style, you usually won't find me wearing it.

NO.

2. I actually don't like knee socks, especially with my legs. I love the prints on knee socks, and think they look super cute with most co-ords, but I just can't wear them. My legs are a little longer and I hate how they make my knees look really knobby. They also tend to give the illusion that my dress is actually shorter on me than it is, so I mostly stick to OTK's (over-the-knee socks) or light tights.

3. The odd sizing in Lolita. It's probably just because I'm a tall dorky Anglo-saxon kind of girl, but I always find sizing wonky on the dresses. Aside from Mary Magdalene, the dresses in other brands will have sleeves that are too short, bust circumferences that are too tight, lengths that are too short, and even neck closures that are too tight. 

4. The negativity and the "costume" aspect. I realize a lot of people have never seen Lolita fashion before, but like with any alternative fashion, theres always the negative comments from people and other people who think you are wearing some sort of costume or playing dress up. I've heard "It's not Halloween you know" quite often from random people, as well as "Why do you want to wear puffy little girl dresses?" and other negative comments. Also, "I love your costume, are you Alice in Wonderland?/in a play/going to a party/a performer?" 

um

5. Prints selling out so fast!! I can't believe how hard it is to get one of the new dresses once its popularity catches like wildfire, such as the new AP Crystal Dream Carnival series. I just troll the sales sites everyday hoping someone will decide they didn't like the dress after they bought it and sell it, but with some dresses the seller will capitalize on the fact that the dress is a much- sought after piece and try to sell it for ridiculous amounts that no Lolita can pay.

6.People thinking that Lolita fashion has to do with the book of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov.  IT DOES NOT.

However, as soon as someone asks you what type of fashion you are wearing, or you are trying to explain the fashion/lifestyle to someone who has never heard of it before, once they hear the word "Lolita" they seem to just stop listening, or the famous words come out:

"Oh....like the book...."

So right away they think its something sleazy and immoral, meant to attract older men, when in fact Lolita is mainly about modesty and elegance (for me at least).

7. Having to starve at times to buy dresses. It's happening right now, it will very likely happen again. I make myself broke because a new dress comes out, or more than one dream dress or dress from my wish list pop up on the sales sites at the same time. 

8. Really baby-infant prints. AP, what were you thinking when you did Dreamy Baby Room? I know many Lolitas, as well as myself, that shuddered inwardly. It was a sad day.

NONONONONONONONO

9. The elitism/bashing that can go on internally within the Lolita world. Enough said, its just really sad to see sometimes.

10. The amount of time it can take to get ready. I usually pride myself on being able to get ready fast, but sometimes it just takes way too long. All the little things that go into making one big, flawless co-ord can take forever to get on your body in just the right way. Sometimes hours!

Well, thats it for now, next time it will be ten foods I like! Can't wait for that one!

Hope you enjoyed!

...and I spent all of the money on all of the thingsssss

Hello everyone!

The other day I was browsing Lace Market and I noticed someone had listed a gorgeousness Triple Fortune bonnet. I have always loved the designs of 3F''s bonnets and hats, so I just couldn't resist (although my bank account was screaming. Actual screaming.) 

So in the next couple of days, this should be arriving in the mail so I can fawn all over it and place it on an altar somewhere in my house so it can be admired forever until those days that I wear it:

money well spent. 

Also, I put a down payment on the Sax colorway of the Day Dream Carnival tiered-JSK to start my collection of the entire series! I can't wait to pay it off next week and have it show up as well!

Could not be more happy with my purchases at the moment!

I'm currently trying to put together a fairy-tale inspired co-ord for the Royal de la Fee tea party event later this month in the city. I have a feeling the new 3F bonnet will be incorporated somehow...so keep an eye out for photos soon! Also, if you have any suggestions of what fairy-tale character I should base my outfit on or gain inspiration from, please let me know!

cya!

Lolita Challenge Part 1- 10 things about your Lolita bubble!

So the first day in the 30 day Lolita challenge is to talk about 10 things that make up your "Lolita bubble". It was hard to know where to start, so I'll try and list what I think are the most important things, and see how it goes!

1. I started becoming interested in Lolita when I was about 14, but I didn't go to my first meet-up until I was about 20! I remember the first time I ever saw Lolita fashion, back when my best friend and I used to MSN each other back and forth (ah, the good old days of MSN). We were nerdy little Otaku girls who shared a mutual bond with our love of everything Japan, and one day she sent me a photo of this girl in the most amazing outfit I had ever seen in my entire life. She said it was this cool style she had just discovered, called Lolita. As Momoko says in Kamikaze girls, "The old me was slain"! Everything about the style embodied what I wanted to be, what I had ever dreamed of being. I immediately looked for stores online to buy Lolita clothing ( I died internally that day when I discovered how expensive it was), and of course stumbled across....Bodyline. My friend and I marvelled at what we thought was good quality, inexpensive Burando and both ordered something. 

Needless to say, we thought we were pretty cool when our items showed up. Looking back, the jacket I bought wasn't even Lolita at all hahaha

When I got a job a few years later, I finally managed to save up for actual brand, and haven't looked back since! I discovered the local Lolita community at 19 and shyly went to my first meet at 20. 

2. My favourite brand of all time is Mary Magdalene. I just love the perfect, elegant cuts and fabric of the dresses, which fit me probably the best out of all the brands I've ever tried/own. I can successfully say that I've liked every single dress they've ever put out, which is rare for me to say about most brand. Their stock photos are just the most perfect things ever too ._.; 

I also love Innocent World, Metamorphose and Angelic Pretty

3. At first, OTT Sweet Lolita was not my thing at all. I completely appreciated other girls who could pull it off, but it just wasn't for me. These days though, I am in love with some of the co-ords and dresses, and feel more open to doing this style, or a classical-sweet version. Lately, I've been sticking to classical themes, as well as pastel colours like pale pink, creams, and light blue. 

4. I was very heavily into Gothic Lolita at first, probably up until at least two years ago. I still love creating gothic co-ords whenever I can, but mostly leave it for the darker-themed meet-ups these days!

A gothic-inspired co-ord from last year's Halloween meet-up! 

5. I get the majority of my dresses, accessories, and other bits from the Comm Sales, Lace Market, or through the local Lolita community girls. I'm not so good at the Comm Sales, but I absolutely love Lace Market lately.

6. I tried making a few of my own Lolita pieces a while ago, back when I was more of an avid sewer. I just don't have the time anymore to whip up something majestic or cute, but in the past I have made skirts, over-skirts, lacy wrist cuffs, flower crowns, petticoats, and even bloomers! I really want to get back into making things, hopefully sometime this century ya'll.

7. I've slowed right down when it comes to buying dresses in the last two years- mainly because I rent my own little kawaii house and its expensive to do both sometimes -_-; But I still put aside Burando monies!!! Or starve for a couple weeks when I see a dress I want hahaha

8. My house is completely 100% branded kawaii. I have so many cute things I've hoarded since I was a teenager that there is very little room to sit or even move! My couches have been taken over by Hello Kitty and a pack of Alpacasso, and theres little toys, trinkets, plushies, mementos, and general cuteness everywhere. I'll actually post photos of this madness one day soon....when I have it contained.

9. I am accepting of everyone's Lolita fashion choices, and I really dislike any elitism or bullying that I see on some sites and other places. Lolita for me is about having fun with the style and creating a look for who you want to be. There is no age limit or hardcore rules that must be followed, as long as you love the style and are kind to others as well. 

10. I love the Vancouver/Seattle Lolita community! Everyone is so nice and I've always loved going to the meet-ups, even if I don't make it to all that many because I live away from Vancouver in a more secluded area, my job hours suck sometimes... No matter what we do, It's always a fun experience and I love meeting new friends, seeing all the amazing co-ords and taking time to catch up with all the talented people that come out to the meet-ups!

A shot of some of us at the Angelic Pretty Tea Party!

Hope you enjoy! I would also love to see anyone else's Lolita challenge so far if you've taken part!

Byebye!

HaeNuLi's Enchanted Fawn OP- Review

Hello Everyone!

I haven't been posting anything on here lately because I was having a lot of problems with my phone recently, and I was unable to upload any photos to my computer :( Everything seems to be alright now though!

I received HaeNuLi's Enchanted Fawn print a couple of weeks ago, after the pre-order back in November. The reserve was only open for one week for this lovely print, so I ordered the "Fawn" coloured version of the one piece dress right away.

Here is the original stock photo:

HaeNuLi Shin herself is very good about communication after you have ordered, and is very polite and helpful! Once I made my payment for the dress, she kept me updated at every stage along the way; when she received my payment, when the dress was nearing completion, and when the dress was packaged and sent.
Once the dress had been sent, it reached me extremely quickly.

Here is my dress!

The fabric was a little different than I expected. The photo made it look like a light, soft fabric, but it is actually a little thicker. Still lovely nonetheless! The inside lining is very nice, and sewn very well.

The waist sits a lot higher than it does in the stock photo. I also have a little bit of bunching that goes on where the fabric is ruched at the back. It looked a little awkward at first, but after a few times of trying it on, that seemed to sort itself out. The rest of the dress fits perfectly.

The print itself is quite beautiful. Here is a closeup of just one part:

Just like a magical woodland painting :3

Overall, I love this dress. It makes me feel super cute but also has a classic feel.

Here are some photos of the dress worn!

I also received a small bag inside with some cute candy and Korean instant coffee (so tasty), and some lovely postcards as well as a fabric swatch, which is almost like HaeNuLi's business card!

See you soon!!

Review of Soap and Glory

After browsing Instagram about a couple of weeks before Christmas, I noticed that many girls were buying or had been given the gift of an adorable Soap and Glory gift set, a product I have used in the past and quite enjoyed because of its unique retro packaging and the product's overall quality. Many girls claimed that the sets were quite easy to find, and had been bought from their local drug store. As I work as a Cosmetician at a Shoppers Drug Mart, where we actually carry the Soap and Glory line, I was really excited to get my hands on one of these cute little sets and treat myself to the smaller-sized versions of the S&G line. As time got closer to Christmas, our store still didn't seem to be carrying the sets, and I was starting to give up on getting excited every time I unpacked a box of cosmetics merchandise for the store.

It wasn't until around New Year's Eve that the sets arrived in our store. And, to my delight, they were on for nearly half price, as they were considered Christmas stock and have to be cleared out of the store pretty quickly to make way for the new products coming in (Hello, Valentine's Day).

I grabbed the All Things Bright and Bubbly set, and that night took a very long bath so I could try out all of the products.

It even comes with a cute little bath pouf!

Lets start with the Calm One Calm All Bubbling Bath Soak!

For anyone who hasn't tried Soap and Glory products before, the first thing you might notice is that pretty much every product they put out has their signature scent, "Original Pink", which they describe as a a citrus scent with notes such as bergamot, summer rose, peach, jasmine, and lush musks.

It sure smells good to me. 

The packaging is pretty cute and has little facts and other musings all over it. The bubble bath also claims to have a body lotion built in, so I thought I would wait for a while before I applied any of the Righteous Body Butter that came in the set.

It says to use a couple of capfuls to get a lot of bubbles, but I decided to just put one capful in to see what happens.

I started pouring in....

...and ended up with this.

This picture actually doesn't do the bubbles any justice. For just a capful, I had a LOT of bubbles that ended up lasting a really long time, more than most of the other bubble soaks i've tried. The bubbles also smelled amazing :3

As for the built-in lotion, I would say that my skin did feel quite moisturized after the bath, and the scent of the bubbles was nice and light on my skin.

Now for the Scrub of Your Life!

I really liked this product. It wasn't too abrasive, but it was still nice and thick and actually foams up quite nicely. I found that it really helped with a couple of my dry skin areas, such as my knees, and left them feeling a lot softer and smoother than they have in a long time! If you've got any rough spots you want to get rid of on your body, this product definitely helps.

Clean On Me Shower Gel

The Clean On Me Shower Gel also claims to have a built in body lotion, so I decided to forego the Righteous Butter altogether at this point. 

This product also contains a natural mandarin peel extract.

Like the Scrub, the gel lathers up remarkably and you don't really need to use that much. It has a nice and creamy feel that leaves the skin feeling silky and soft afterwards, and also very clean.  You can even use the gel as a shave foam, which I was a little reluctant to try at first. I usually have problems using regular shave foam, as my skin is really sensitive and I will get horrible red itchy blotches and the occasional ingrown hair, but this gel does wonders!

The Righteous Butter

The Righteous Butter is the first S&G product that I ever tried a few years ago. I really enjoyed the feel and scent of it back then, and I still enjoy it now. The butter is really thick and feels so nice on the skin. My skin is often quite oily, but this product does not leave an oily residue or that slimy feel that a lot of body butters can cause. Instead, my skin always feels soft and moisturized once the butter quickly absorbs into the skin, leaving the nice, light smell of the Original Pink scent that lingers throughout the day. The original sized container usually lasts quite a long time from what I remember, and is definitely one of my favourites!

Hand Food

I'm liking this product so far. My hands are sometimes dry in patches, not just from the cold weather right now, but also because I have to work with a lot of cardboard and paper items at all my work positions. 

I find that this hand cream is nice and light, non-greasy, and sinks in quickly. After a short time, my hands feel nice and hydrated, a lot softer, and smell great. I'm hoping that it will also help out a bit around my cuticles, because that seems to be dry at the moment too.  I have a feeling I will be applying this cream many times a day, as I'm already addicted!!

Overall, I'm really enjoying my Soap and Glory set and definitely recommend the line to anyone with dry skin or anyone that just loves as good bath as much as I do. Sit back and pamper yourself with some lovely bubbles and soothing scrubs and lotions from this line, you certainly won't regret it!!\