Squirrel Theme Meetup

Our December meetup took place at a brunch place that is closing at the end of the year.

I'm super proud of my headband! My dress has squirrels on it too~ 

 There were so many things on the menu that was no longer available, our beverages came in paper cups instead of mugs, and there was a promo where you can take a photo and upload on IG or FB and get a free latte (that also came in a paper cup). It was a bit weird since this place had just renovated last year.

I got a vegetarian brunch option

Bright, Colorful Deco Makeup

Eyeshadows: Medusa's Makeup
Eyeliner: Avance
Mascara: Avance + Essence Princess Lash
Blush: Dior
Lipstick: BH Cosmetics (Color Lock)

繽紛彩色DECO妝

眼影: Medusa's Makeup
眼線: Avance
睫毛膏: Avance + Essence艾森絲 Princess Lash
眉筆: 大創
腮紅: Dior
口紅: BH Cosmetics (Color Lock)

IG: @_sparklewolfie_

Ribbon Tights DIY

This hardly requires any direction, but I wanted to share how I upgraded my pink tights!
I haven't worn these in ages simply because the shade of pink is slightly off from my other pinks (other Sweet Lolitas, you understand the struggle!)

So I decided to add a contrasting color so I can wear these with other coordinates.

It is really as simple as it looks. Tie small ribbons (seal them by sewing or gluing inside the knot) and then stitch them carefully to your tights. I opted only to stitch them to the lower legs so they wouldn't get in the way of my bloomers and petticoat.\

Tip: Stitch with a thin thread and needle so as to not risk creating runs in your tights!

Three-color Cybergoth Makeup

English version of the makeup video!

I'm not very good at editing so it takes me ages to do these, but it's fun when I have the time ^_^

三色Cybergoth妝

English version coming soon
I'm practicing editing :P

Pokemon Pop-Up Cafe in Taipei

November's Lolita Meetup did not take place here, but since I missed the meetup, my friends all came to Pokemon Cafe with me after the actual meetup ^^;  I have the best friends.  This is like November Meetup Extra Content

Welcome to Heaven

 I arrived first around 2PM and used the touch-screen to get a number.  We were number 123. The number the cafe was up to at the time I was reserving, was 20.  Yes, we waited more than 100 numbers for this.

Alola Edition

 The staff didn't seem to really mind people walking around though, so I just went in to take photos and video of the amazing inside!

End of Putumayo

According to the Putumayo blog page, Putumayo is going to shut down!!! My second favorite brand *sobs hysterically*
 Taken directly from that page:
"【 Dear Customers 】

Notice of end of sales of “PUTUMAYO” brand

Thank you very much for always purchasing PUTUMAYO.
PUTUMAYO has been proposing fashion based on its own concept for about 30 years,
and we have decided to discontinue the brand in anticipation of market trends this time.

Therefore, we will close the online shop on December 10, 2017.

In addition, we will close the Shinjuku Marui Annex store next spring.
Regarding the last business day, we will guide you at the official website and stores at any time.

We greatly value your patronage for a long time and we would like to express our deepest appreciation.

HYPER HYPER CO.,Ltd.
President Tamotsu Yagihara"

Very unexpected and unpleasant surprise. I hope the Tokyo shop is still open when I am there this December. If not, I'll have to scour Closet Child to find if I can buy anything T^T

Lolita Garden Market II

On 11/11 there was another Lolita market held by Lolita Garden. I got a last-minute vendor spot, and hurried to make some new accessories. This time I added floral headbands and coffins to my collection. I also brought my dressform, Caroline, so I could display more things.  Still, I find that selling accessories just looks a right mess as you can see below:

WAY messy and unorganized

I was splitting a table with Qiqi, who had brought an entire clothing rack for her dresses! (That's actually her up there in the left hand corner wearing navy blue Lolita with floral kimono)

There was light rain in the morning which was a bit concerning as rain drives people to stay home, but luckily the rain stopped and so the market was quite busy!

Despite the horrendous state of my table layout, I did quite well. I'm also still helping Kamiko sell her things and picked up a package from Hong Kong Disney for her from our friend who was visiting from Hong Kong.

Needle-felted mushrooms on a comb

Also in spooky colors

 I had such a wide variety of items that it was even overwhelming to me to try and remember what was what.

Guro-kawa bear necklaces

Needle-felted cat ears

Large coffin hair pin

Medusa's Makeup Brand Review

More and more indie makeup brands are springing up left and right in North America and Europe! I decided to expand my makeup collection and placed several orders with one brand, Medusa's Makeup, and even tested out their subscription service.  The brand claims to be cruelty-free and vegan. I am a supporter of cruelty-free beauty, so decided to give Medusa's Makeup a go.

The first order I placed was a spur of the moment decision. There was a sale so I decided to order just three Totally Baked eye shadows in the colors Radical, a bright purple, Whatever, a deep gray, and Fer Sure, a bright red. The finish on all the baked eye shadows is a smooth shimmer finish.

Halloween Meetup at Miss Strega

Despite all the preparation I'd done for my Halloween party, not a single person showed up so I'm very grateful that Neco invited me to this Halloween Lolita Meetup with a different group of Lolitas than I usually hang out with.

I also made this winged coffin the night before and altered Neco's dress the day of the meet! I was very tired =_=;

Tried out my new lashes as well

Laser Pigmentation Removal

I'm 99% sure that's not the name of the procedure, but it pretty much describes what it is: remove hyper-pigmentation through laser magic (lasers are all very magic)

My mom had purchased a set of spa treatments at 全康醫學美容診所 (no English name, sorry) but never bothered going by herself, so she asked if I'd like to get a spa facial and I thought, sure!  So these photos from the second time we went, as it was the most intense. I've since had a third treatment which just helped with pores and evening skin tone.

Taken at the spa directly after the treatment

Mishmash

Hello lovelies~ It's been a while since I really had anything interesting to post. I've always been concerned with my blog looking very neat or whatever, but I think I ought to relax a bit. So I'm posting photos from my phone because if I took a photo of something, it must have been important or meaningful.

My first time making a freeform needle-felted critter, I decided on Usakumya-chan!  Unfortunately, using felted red eyes rather than plastic doll eyes makes it look a bit.... creepy....

"Your soul is mine"

Masuda Sebastian X za limited edition compact

Creativity is so wonderful that I envy artists who can make a living simply by making their imagination into a real-life artwork. It would feel like a magical life!

Masuda Sebastion is a famous artist who does very detailed, super-kawaii, over the top designs.  I love it!

So when I saw the collaboration between the artist and the brand za, which I use for liquid foundation and concealer, I just had to grab one!  The product is actually a refill pan for the Liquid x Powder foundation, which I've never used before.

Packaging was very pink!

Sweets-Sweets Tokyo Varnish Review

Hello! Today I've got a short and sweet (haha I'm so funny) review on the Sweets-Sweets Tokyo nail varnish/polish.  They've also got an adorable website!

We received two sets of three polishes from the Chiffon Meetup, but since not everybody uses nail polish, we divided them among the ones who do. I go a blue and a green. 

One of the biggest things I dislike about nail polish is the smell, and these luckily don't give off much smell at all!  I was painting Neco's nails in the restaurant (we were a bit overexcited and forgot about the situation) and it didn't cause any smell that could overpower just the smell of pancakes. At home I use it and the smell is truly minimal in these sparkling, buildable polishes.

Three coats of the polish is opaque

The first coat of polish is pretty sheer, and I think it would look good as a topcoat over white polish or another one of your choice. It would reflect at different angles and look very cool, I think!

In order to get a completely opaque look using only these polishes, it took me three coats. At two it was fairly opaque but the brush strokes were visible.  Layering this polish with a base in the same color would be a good way to get the opacity you want without applying so many layers!

Overall, I really like these polishes and will keep my eye out for other colors.  They last pretty well so long as you remember to add a topcoat of your choice.

What's your favorite nail polish color? I really love a vibrant yet neutral pastel pink, which probably is not a good description ^^; image the color of strawberry milk and that is the shade of pink that I like!

I haven't had time to do fancier nail art designs recently, nor have I felt inspired to do anything other than Candy Corn pedicure.  If I get a good idea to go with these polishes, I'll definitely be making a post about that!

Thanks for reading and commenting!  Hope you have a lovely day~

Recently

I feel bad when I don't have anything to write about, so here's just a quick summary of recent events and photos to go along! I hope these lifestyle posts aren't too boring for you, dear readers. ^u^

I went shopping with a couple friends from uni last Saturday, so I wore a casual coordinate (they are not Lolitas)

Twinning

Not so Creepy Crawlies

"Insects/Bugs" was the theme for this month's meetup (and yes, it was submitted by me)  Of course, at first it sounded really difficult... what Lolita print would have caterpillars, praying mantis, ants, etc?  But fear not, Lolitas!  There are butterflies.  

Formosan Swallowtail >>>>

By Notafly - self-made Own photograph.Taken with Ricoh Caplio 5, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4023630

So we were all feeling confident... until we went home and several of us (myself included) discovered that butterflies were not at all as common as we'd thought!!!  Flowers were accompanied with sweets and ribbons rather than bugs! At least we had a gorgeous meet-up restaurant worked out - FujiFlower

$270 or so for a massive croissant egg salad sandwich and a yummy salad!

There were real, dried flowers all over!  Now for our butterfly coordinates:

Lolita Wedding, Behind the scenes

Previously I'd written  about a secret we attended after our Swan Princesses meetup. I'd been hoping to get the professional photos sooner, but since they have yet to deliver, I just use my own!  We attended a Lolita wedding!

The entire wedding planning process was extremely time consuming as the bride, Kamiko, did much of the designing herself.

About a year before he original wedding date in November, she started making polls for the invitations to see which designs people liked better.  The winning result (with Eevee covering their names) was this splendid creation:

Front

Back

Harajuku Market and small sad news

First let's get the sad and annoying bit out of the way: my laptop is broken so I will be mobile posting until I can get a new one.

Now, on to the fun times! I attended the Harajuku market as a vendor again. Kamiko was unable to come in person so we met up beforehand and I took her items to sell.

I also had Neco as my helper, though she ended up being Kamiko's best customer!

There was a short fashion show for some reason Amber I took the opportunity to close my eyes and relax for a bit.

 When the browsing and shopping resumed, I was surprised to see Mirage there in shironuri!  We met at a Flora Salon event about two years ago when I wore Cyber Lolita.

He actually recognized Taiwan Teddy before recognizing me 〒_〒 

He did a really good job on the makeup as it was an even and solid white and the lines of the eyesmakeup were clean.

Swan Princesses

On June 18 we had our Swan theme meetup!!  I had only recently discovered that Antoinette Decoration had swans on it (there is honestly so much detail in the print!) so that's what I wore. We joked that this dress could fit almost any theme because it had cake, pipe cream, macaron towers, swans, crowns, Marie Antoinette, feathers, etc.

Outfit Rundown
KC, socks: BABY THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
JSK: Angelic Pretty
Chiffon top: Little Dipper
Petticoats: Classical Puppets
Shoes, hair candies, earrings: offbrand

Black Lace Boudoir Shoot

Sorry for the lack of posts all month. Lots of things happened but it took a while to get the photos ^^;
I have not edited the photos at all, though the photographer did adjust light and coloring.  So basically this is what the photographer gave me. On my instagram there are a few I edited if you are interested (minor edits)

 These were taken on the 27th of May, sort of like a birthday treat to myself as Neco had been looking for somebody to take a boudoir shoot with and she knew the photographer who was extremely polite.

I did run late so I got fewer shots though that is my own fault. I would be interested in working with this photographer again as he made me feel comfortable even when giving directions on how to look better.

Kawaii International Kawaii Reporter!

Hello readers!  The secret mentioned before is now on air!

You can watch the episode we are in live on the NHK website episode #61 at [UTC] May 5 (Fri.) 0:30/6:30/13:30/18:30 or as Video on Demand for up to two weeks after broadcast date.

Xiao Lu, Neco, Me

After swapping!
DORO, Shiyo, me, Neco, Xiao Lu

We actually made that eye patch on a whim out of random stuff at my house (felt, rose pins, ribbon) because Xiao Lu's contact was bothering her eye and had to take it out.  I think it looks awesome.

Big thanks to Kawaii International for asking me to be a Kawaii Reporter and to my coworker and friend, Kenny of Images by Kenny, for filming for us!

We had a lot of fun that day and plan to do another style swap just on our own for fun.  I want to try Chinese-style Lolita XD  Or even just Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing)!

If you watched this episode, please let me know your thoughts!!!!!   I am still so anxious about it and how it'll be received as I've just watched the first broadcast and it's very short but seems OK?

Edit:

Full video available on my Google Drive here

At Crystal Symphony

On Saturday there was another Lolita Market!  This one was more professional and aimed specifically at Lolitas, though yukata and kimonos were allowed, so the entire setup seemed more fancy.  I split a vendor's table with Doro, and then Doro helped Laina sell some things and I helped Kamiko sell some things.  So basically, 1 table 4 types haha!

My half of the vendor booth

May of the other vendors were very professional, had their own brand labels, brought mannequins, heads for wigs and bonnets, etc.  Doro and I just spread everything out and smiled brightly at everybody haha!  Of course, my little helper did a live broadcast on her facebook fan page if you are interested.  You can't really see anything, as it was seriously crowded, but you can spot many very gorgeous ladies and maybe even some brolitas around.

The True Treasure in Friendship

Hello my lovely readers! Sorry for such a cheesy title but our theme for this month was "treasure" so we all wore dresses with treasure chests on them.

Pondering the greatest treasure of all....
Dreads, KC ribbon, JSK, underskirt wrist stops: handmade by me
Veil: Metamorphose temps de la fille
Top: Little Dipper
Petticoats: Classical Puppets
Bag: Swimmer Japan

Mine is a small print so you can't see it in photos, but it was this mermaid print JSK I made years ago.  We also tried taking "lookaway" selfies which is where you intentionally look away from the camera as you snap the photo.  In my opinion, I just look like I don't want to be there haha!

The "lookaway"

 We met at Laina's cousin's shop.  It was difficult to find but had such cute cakes!

Such cute desserts!!

I ordered the little cactus one purely because it's cute and comes in a beaker

Daily-Style Cyber Kawaii Makeup Video EN and CH

Recently I went out with  my mom and decided to film the makeup as I did it!  Really, I just made it up as I went along so I had to edit out so many pauses.

The color combination turned out really prettily in my opinion, so I'm pleased with it!
English Version:


Chinese Version:


Sadly it seems my camera angle tilted back a little bit so I'm almost off-screen during the talking portions, but I think that the tutorials are still understandable.  I also showed more of the application process this time around!

Anyway, I'm having fun exploring different styles and practicing makeup and video editing. I know the editor I use has far more functions than I am using, but I am still learning how to do just some basic things.

Thank you for reading or watching my videos!  I'd appreciate any feedback.  I also don't have lighting, but I hope it is bright enough to see clearly.  Since I don't plan to be a "YouTuber" I'm not going to invest money in equipment or anything, but just try to do my best with what I do have.  Next time I may change my filming location to see if the lighting gets any better!

Skincare Review~ The Ordinary by DECIEM

I recently ran out of my old skincare products and decided to give the currently hyped-up brand The Ordinary a try. I purchased four products after scouring the site for hours, as they don't use a ton of  filler ingredients so everything sounds rather scientific.  I suggest you read up on everything before deciding which products to buy.

On the other hand, you can simply follow their Example Regimens to save yourself the hassle!

The first product in my new skincare routine is the Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 which supports hydration and repair.

Photo from website

I'd previously read that hyaluronic acid only provides temporary surface hydration by pulling water FROM your skin rather than from the air TO your skin, leaving your skin feeling temporarily hydrated but ultimately dryer than ever. As it turns out, this is because there are different forms the molecule.  Molecules which are too large sit on the surface of the skin, drawing water OUT if there is not enough moisture in the air.  Using too much straight HA can also have this effect as it can take 1000 times its weight in water, so using too much will result in the moisture of your skin being pulled out.
According to The Ordinary, "This formulation combines low-, medium- and high-molecular weight HA, as well as a next-generation HA crosspolymer at a combined concentration of 2% for multi-depth hydration in an oil-free formula. This system is supported with the addition of Vitamin B5 which also enhances surface hydration. "

This means that after applying this formulation, it's best to add a moisturizer on top so the HA sucks the moisturizer you've applied deep into your skin to provide true hydration.  I use four drops each in the morning and evening.  The water-based formula is absorbed quickly and feels really good on the skin!

Next I use something which is new to me: Advanced Retinoid 2%.  I've not used retinoids, retinols, or retonic acids before.

Photo from website

This is a water-based formula so I apply it before oils.  I think it would be best to ease into using any form of retinoid, and the website cautions "Retinoids can make the skin more sensitive to UV radiation. Sun protection is particularly important when using retinoids. This product must not be used in conjunction with other retinoids including retinol or retinoic acid. This product is not a treatment for acne. Acne-prone skin may experience a temporary increase in acne during the first few weeks of using any form of retinoid including those used in this formulation."

I started out using four drops but found that my skin was not yet used to this and became a bit red and uncomfortable, so I reduced it to two drops in the evening.  Some deep-seated acne I'd had for months finally emerged and I was able to extract them about two to three days after starting this new treatment, even though it says it is not an acne treatment (I do not have acne-prone skin)

This product claims to treat textural irregularities and signs of age which are both things I'd like to see improvement on!!  This also absorbs quickly and easily.  It is a milky color compared to all the others, which are clear.

The third item I bought was Ascorbyl Ttraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F.  Basically, a Vitamin C serum, which is common in the skincare industry to treat uneven skin tone.

Photo from website

Because Vitamin C has so many forms and derivatives, The Ordinary provides a chart to help you understand the differences.  I chose this light oil formula for its high potency and low stinging sensation.  In fact, I feel no stinging sensation at all when I used this.  Being a light oil, it glides on very smoothly, but feels almost a bit grainy, thought there are no actual granules to be found, so I'm not sure what that is about??  After a few seconds of massaging in the oil, it is absorbed and the sensation disappears.

This product is intended to treat dullness, uneven tone, and signs of age.  I definitely have some uneven skin tone so I hope this will help!

Finally, I wanted an overall hydrator.  I do have dry patches of skin and I also wanted to maximize the effect of the Hyaluronic Acid product I'd purchased by giving it a moisturizer to draw into deeper layers of skin.

Not understanding much about the hydrators, I went for a pure 100% Plant-Derived Squalane.

Photo from website

The majority of the hydrators are oils, so I went with this one, which can be used on both the skin and the hair if your hair suffers from breakage easily.  The only purpose of this product is hydration and I think it does a wonderful job!  When I apply this in the morning, my skin feels hydrated and soft for the entire day.  I have to remind myself not to keep touching my face because this is the first time something has worked so well for me!

Apply this after water-based treatments and then gently massage it in.  I find that it stays emollient enough do to some facial massage for a minute or two, which feels really good!  

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with all my purchases.  I got free shipping because I spent over US$45, yet each of these products (30ml) have very affordable price tags!  

DECIEM, the mother company, has many lines of products and you can also buy from multiple lines and get them shipped together rather than paying for shipping separately.  You can also return your items for a refund up to one year after purchase!!!  I think you'd use up your products by then!

I placed my order on Feb. 7 and it was shipped on Feb. 21, You can track your order with the provided tracking number, and my order arrived on Feb. 27.

After using this regimen for a month, the biggest difference I've noticed is in hydration.  I definitely plan to repurchase when I run out, and have my eyes on the Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG for the eye area as well as one of the two hydrator formulas which also work as makeup primers.  It's a two-for-one; who can resist?

Have you heard of or tried any DECIEM brands or The Ordinary?  If so, please share in the comments!!  I'd like to know about how other products compare or how the same product performs for other people!

Strawberry VS Cherry! Fight!

It's time for Spring Reservations and BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT and Angelic Pretty have put out their strawberry and cherry prints, respectively.

I was extra intrigued by Creamy Cherry by Angelic Pretty since cherries are not normally served with whipped cream.  At first glance it seems a normal cherry print, but there are small dollops of cream dotted through the entire dress (most noticeable on the dark blue dress) which puts me off.  The idea of cream ribbons around the border was really cute, though, and I'd love to see that on a real cake!

I DO love the rings that come with this release!!  The tails appear to be soft, similar to pom-poms.

BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT hasn't done too shabby either, with their Strawberry's Heart Drops (not to be confused with Strawberry Drops, which is a solid design)

My favorite detail on this JSK is the strawberry printed ruffles going up the sides and into the straps!!  The mix of strawberries and cherries is pretty standard for BABY and something I really do love.

Another notable detail is the strawberry lace on the hair combs!!!  Small details like this will likely only be noticed by other Lolitas, but they just make my heart flutter~

I haven't the money for either of these reservations so I can only post photos on my blog to share with my readers.  

Which is your favorite? Or do you prefer a different fruit print?  Let me know in the comments!  I'd love to hear differing opinions.

Rapunzel's Lookbook~ Heatless Waves

I love adding texture to my super straight hair, but don't like using heat stylers.  I also have rather long hair (which I recently cut, as mentioned in my previous post) so in these photos my hair is over 60cm long!

Many curl patterns don't work on such lengths of hair, but here is one I've been using since grade school that has always worked well for me and is easily adjustable to all lengths of hair and a wide variety of looks!

Today I opted for looser waves

 Materials:
*hair binders