New Year's Resolutions: Style Edition

It's official- Happy New Year!
Last year's fashion resolution to  encorporate more of the classic and gothic lolita substyles into my look and to experiment with other styles like otome and JPunk, has been a big success, so I've great hopes for this year's resolutions, too!

Without further ado, this year's determinations:

• To focus on fleshing out my lolita wardobe.  I really want to prioritise accessories, blouses ( so many of my outfits would look better with something besides a cream/black blouse), parasols, shoes and headwear. Up until recently I've been putting most of my energy (and funds!) into trying to put together enough of a wardobe to wear loli on a regular, near daily basis. However, recently I've been looking at other people's co-ordinates and it's sort of dawned upon me how much the small things contribute to a great outfit. The sad part of this resolution is that I will inevitably end up having to pass on prints and dream dresses, however, I really think my wardrobe will benefit from it!

• To start making accessories myself. I really have no excuse here at  all. My mum is a miliner and dab hand at sewing. There's no reason for me not to learn how to make my own hairbows and corsages. 

• Similar to the one above, I really want to learn to repair clothes better. When it comes to little things like sewing buttons on, or fixing split seams, I'm fine. But the other day when I discovered a moth hole in one of my shawls, I realised I had absolutely no idea how to darn it.

• As fun as last year's resolution to try other styles was, it's not an aim I'm going to carry into the new year. I've come to realise that nothing quite floats my boat like the frills do. On the flipside, my health taking a bit of a tumble has made me realise that although wearing quirky outfits on a semi-daily basis cheers me up most of the time, there are going to be days where I might not have the time or wherewithal for two petticoats, makeup and  doing my hair (attempting to wrestle with it), and that's ok too. 

• Wigs.  As much of a fan as I am of my current Kokusyoku Sumire-esque bob, there's just so much more a change of hairstyle/colour can do for an outfit, and I've been secretly dying to experiment with one of lolita fashion's most iconic elements. 

So there they are. I hope everyone has fun trying out their own style resolutions for this year, too. 

(o´▽`o)

May/June Outfit Shots

Sorry for the  hiatus! I've been ridiculously busy with final exams and applying for uni. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. The weather has been lovely here of late. Maybe a little too lovely! These days I find myself having to swap out heavier blouses for cutsews and the like. We still have the occasional rainy day of course.  (●ω●✿)

Some recent outfit shots:

Blouse: Thrifted
Skirt: Metamorphose
Shoes: Bodyline
Tights, hat, bag: Offbrand

Am I a magical girl yet??

Blouse: Innocent World
Skirt: Baby The Stars Shine Bright
Headbow: Handmade
Cardigan and bracelet: Offbrand

Casual outfit for meeting friends

Top, Skirt: Sophie
Belt,socks,shoes: Offbrand/Not Sure

Punk Co-ord
Jacket: H & M
Dress, tights: Primark
Shoes: Dr. Martens

Review: Skin79 Lovely Girl BB cream, Shiseido Integrate Rich and Smooth Gel Eyeliner and samples!

So, back in November I ordered a couple of things from Korean and Japanese beauty product stockist 'Pretty and Cute'. I'm finally getting around to reviewing them!

So Here we have, Skin79's 'Lovely Girl' BB cream, Shiseido's 'Integrate Rich and Smooth Gel Eyeliner' and testers for Lioele's ' Fresh Sunscreen', both Skin79's 'Hot Pink Super Plus Beblesh Balm' and their 'VIP Gold super Plus Beblesh' and also Lioele's 'Beyond The Solution BB Cream'.

Ok, let's start with the Shiseido eyeliner! This was definitely a worthwhile buy in my opinion. Slightly pricier (19$) than what I would usually spend on eyeliner, but as someone who uses a lot of it on a near daily basis and also considering that I have gone through many cheaper brands of eyeliner trying to find one that doesn't make my eyes water by the end of the day- I think it was justified. From me and my Ma's experience Shiseido's formulas in general tend to be a little gentler, and contain less crazy ingredients. That was the first thing I noticed about the eyeliner- I could wear it for a full day and my eyes wouldn't feel at all sore or irritated.

Pros: Glides on totally smoothly with no tugging or uneven lines, stays put ALL day without smudging but is easy to remove with makeup remover, good for people with sensitive eyes.
Cons: As with all click-pen eyeliners, the point which eventually wears down to a rounded shape is useless for drawing precise cat flicks, I had to pair it with my usual liquid eyeliner. Also, it ran out quite quickly. There's less in there than you think...
Rating: 8.5/10
Comments: If this came in a pencil form I'd be happier, still, a great product overall.
Would I buy again/recommend: Yes! Definitely.

Next up is the Lovely Girl BB Cream! I'd heard so many great things about BB creams, about their consistency being light and non-cakey, the added skin benefits/SPF and so on so forth. Earlier in the year I'd got my hands on Maybelline's' Dream Fresh BB Cream', which I found generally mediocre and was thoroughly disappointed in. With this cynical attitude I perused Pretty and Cute's selection of BB creams, eventually choosing this one because of it's recommendation for fair skin tones and promise not to block pores/ oil control/mattifying effects. When I received this in the post back in November I immediately tried it on, and was totally amazed- Korean BB cream is on a totally different level to it's current western counterparts. It completely smoothed over my acne, redness, flaky dry skin (Gotta love combination skin!) and matched my skin tone perfectly, all without a single tide mark or any sort of cakey look, even in direct sunlight.
For this product I've done a slightly more in-depth review than the others- Get ready, no makeup pictures and bad skin ahead!

Since this is a product that claims to be good for teenage/acne prone skin I decided to wait until a week where I had particularly bad skin, and test the product's mettle! ( No photoshop or equivalent used, all photos were taken on a sunny day in broad daylight so you guys can get an accurate idea of things!)

Not looking great, right? And the day before meeting
friends to boot! 

For a little simultaneous review; That's my new Urban Decay lipstick! Urban Decay have a new line of lippies out at the moment, I think it's called their 'Revolution Line' or some such, this is the shade called 'F-Bomb', a dark red with blue tones. I'm sort of using it more as a stain here, but you could go for a more layered look if you wanted something a bit more gothic. The pigmentation of this is unreal! I don't think this photo really does it justice, it's nearly matte with only the tiniest trace of shimmer, super creamy and lasts for an age. Can't really fault it, apart from the price (14 quid, pricey.)

Despite the 'glamorous' hair, much better, don't you think?
The spots all over my forehead  and right cheek are all but
completely hidden! Just the pesky guy above my mole left.
He gave up after I busted him with concealer though.

 Now back to the BB; I've discovered that this BB cream's coverage is highly buildable. After a first layer, you can go onto a second, or third if you like. Third seems to be the max for a non-cakey look though. Also, if you do one layer, then apply extra BB to blemishes like you would concealer, with a tapping motion, it works just as well as using your actual concealer. Pretty handy.

Now for the verdict!

Pros: Didn't seem to aggravate existing acne, evened out skin tone, didn't have an initial oily feeling, perfect for light skin tones, fantastic medium coverage, no cakey effect, brightened up my skin, kept eyeshadow in place (added bonus!)
Cons: Starts to feel a little oily after four hours or so. I had to use it along with powder, so not sure about the 'oil control' claim.
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Sadly no SPF in this one. Still, for the price (Only 14$!!) definitely a worthwhile buy. This is now the most important thing in my makeup bag.
Would I buy again/recommend: Would indeed! I'm tempted to have a gander at some of Lovely Girl's peers though.

As another side review, this here is Benefit's 'Hervana' blush. It's a lovely light orchid colour, perfect for paler skin tones with a yellow undertone. The 'strawberries and cream' look of pale pink blush doesn't really suit me, nor do dark purple numbers, this was a lovely find. It also smells strongly of berries, which was unusual, but interesting. Perfume-blush. This is new to me.

The full look; Shiseido eyeliner, Lovely Girl BB, Hervana blush, Urban Decay lipstick
and concealer (not reviewed)

And last but not least the testers.

First up is the VIP Super Gold BB.
Pros: Lasted all day, non-oily, non-cakey
Cons: Far, far, far too dark on me. I believe this is probably aimed at those with more tan skin/darker skin tones, however, it certainly wasn't right for me.
Rating: 4/10
Comments: Not much to say really.
Would I buy again/Recommend: Well, I wouldn't buy it again for me, but I'd recommend it to anyone wanting something either for summer/ in anticipation of a tan or for folks with slightly darker complexions.

Now onto Lioele's 'Beyond The Solution BB'.
Pros: Lasted all day, made my skin super smooth and soft (almost like primer), had a perfect medium coverage, blended well to my skintone despite the look of the product ( light brown), moisturising but didn't break me out in spots or leave me at all oily ( it one-up's Lovely Girl in this respect as I wore it all day)
Cons: Didn't totally even out my complexion, still a couple of red areas.
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: Not sure how buildable the coverage is, as the tester was quite small, only enough for one application.
Would I buy again/Recommend: Yes, definitely! Once I run out of Lovely Girl I may give this a go.

And then we have the Super Hot Pink BB. This was a wooooooonder product in terms of skin tone matching. Me and my Ma, who has a much darker skin tone than me both tried this on- And it matched us both perfectly! I think this is part of the whole 'adapting to your skin's pH' business I've been reading about that many BB creams do. This was a fabulous product, in so many ways!
Pros: So many! Non-oily, evened out skin tone, lasted all day, matched skin tones perfectly, went on smoothly, didn't break me out in spots, the list goes on.
Cons: Couldn't really see any. This is supposed to be one of the most popular BB's on the market, I see why. The price is a little high though, but for what you get I'd say worth it!
Rating:10/10
Comments: Definitely chucking this in Ma's stocking at xmas, or perhaps her birthday... Sssh! Don't tell her!
Would I buy again/Recommend: Yes, and yes!

And finally, Lioele's 'Fresh Sunscreen'. I finally had an opportunity to use this the other day when an unexpected sunny spell graced our rainy little corner of the globe. Sun cream is a real sore point for me, I burn badly with only the shortest exposure to even mild spring sunshine, yet hate the feeling of sun cream, that icky sticky texture it has, and as a result spend the whole of summer in the dilemma of whether to go out and enjoy the weather and endure slimy factor 50 or to stay at home with lemonade and my trusty garden view window. Naturally, I was very interested in this claim of a 'fresh' feeling sun cream...

Pros: Does what it says! No, seriously. This boasted SPF 45 and went on just like a medium weight moisturiser, with a fresh smell!
Cons: Not really many. After two hours I started to notice a small shine on my nose, but that was it.
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Pleasantly surprised by this, I really am. Maybe my longstanding quandary has found it's end?
Would I buy again/Recommend: Yes, and yes. I fully intend to purchase a bottle of this stuff ASAP, as well as a decent parasol.


And there you have it, my latest beauty haul! Some great products overall, I'm definitely a new convert to the ways of Asian cosmetics!

Style Inspiration- Sugar Sugar Rune!

The 'Creepy Cute' trend seems to have well and truly spread it's wings and taken flight! I've always found the concept of contrasting the saccharine charm of pastel fashions with gothic and/or horror elements very interesting. I pride myself on making every second day Halloween anyhow- A style that amalgamates both of my favourite looks is definitely not something I'm going to pass up! At the same time, I've also been pretty stressed with exam stuff and personal problems, and that means one thing for me- Drowning my worries in shoujo anime. Hence the sudden return to Sugar Sugar Rune, one of my all-time favourite girly anime series. The plot follows two young witches Chocolat and Vanilla, as they engage in a competition between the two of them to see who can charm/befriend the most humans and capture their 'hearts', the winner being crowned queen of the magical kingdom. It's a really sweet show, with some very decent messages about the importance of loving yourself for who you are, friendship, and being your own person, but as well as this the art in the show (and more so in the manga) is cute as hell and the girls' outfits are nothing short of fabulous! And so, I felt inspired enough to put together this collage of spooky-cute Sugar Sugar Rune inspired  clothes!

1) Bat Jumper-Hello Cavities 2) Bracelet-Moon Bunny 3) Ring-Angelic Pretty, currently a few for sale on Lolita Desu 4)Cat Shoes-TUK  5) Moon & Bat Star Necklace-CuteParade 6) Heart Ring-Holley Tea Time 6) Heart Bag-Loris 7) Skull (Betty) Skirt--We're All Mad Here (Indie Lolita Designer) 8) Stripy Cat Tights-Sweet Harajuku

Ways to add some spooky to your cute

• This idea might not suit some of the more opulent kawaii fashions like Lolita or Himegyaru, but do you know those skeleton print gloves you see on sale at Halloween? Cut the tops off the fingers of those, throw on some ragged-y black jeans and pair with your cutest pastel t-shirt or top and accessories. 
• Skeleton tights with any outfit are a way to add a  subtle spooky feel. They're no new idea by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm still in love with eyeball headbows   à la Kyary Pamyu Pamyu  ----->
• Etsy and Storenvy are literally packed with stores like the ones above that sell creepy cute accessories. That said, before buying from Etsy sellers make sure you read up the reviews on their products so you can get a feel for the quality of craftsmanship before buying.



Hate Hearts at Christmas! :D
I was feeling Grinchy...

• More edgy than spooky really, but I'm in love with subversive love heart/conversation heart prints! You know the ones; a cute print of sweets with equally cavity-inducing messages written on them- right? Look closer and you'll see 'F**k Off' 'Leave me alone' 'Drink Poison'. I have ( in the recesses of my wardrobe) a t-shirt from Criminal Damage that sports these kinds of love hearts, but they seem to be popping up all over the place. An interesting addition to any cute outfit! (Brownie points if anyone remembers the kerfuffle caused by Drop Dead's Hate Heart dress at London Fashion Week the year before last!)
• Nail art! By far the most low commitment way to change up your style and add some spooky glamour without having to turn around your whole wardrobe. This YouTube nail art tutorial teaches you how to do all kinds of Halloween inspired nail art, with relatively simple to follow instructions. 

Style Ideas Taken From Sugar Sugar Rune Itself

• 'These emerald eyes are looking at you!'- Dig out those falsies or trusty mascara and eyeliner! Chocolat and Vanilla sport the doe-eyed look so typical of anime and manga's art style, but what stood out for me as a bit different was the emphasis on Chocolat's eyelashes, even her lower lashes are drawn in detail. What about drawing little Twiggy-esque shadow lashes at the corners and underneath your eyes with a dark brown eyeliner? Individual falsies would work work just as well I think.
• 'Beware the hair-care-macaron!'- Chocolat sports some very interesting coiffures throughout the show, that has to be acknowledged. She seems really fond of bouffant hairstyles in particular. Violet LeBeaux has a whole host of fantastic hair tutorial videos over on her website and YouTube channel featuring bouffant/himegyaru looks. My favourites have to be this twin buns tutorial and this himegyaru style hair pouf. If like me ( and Vanilla!) your hair is cut shorter, why not try cute retro pincurls? 
• Stripy socks just make everything look glam, seriously. Actually stripes in general are great, just maybe not in a nautical way for this look.

Happy Heart Hunting~!