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~!