Candy Treat by Angelic Pretty

At Hyper Japan I purchased the November 2010 issue of Kera magazine. A picture of a new AP print caught my eye. I waited for some official pictures on their website. Eventually, the images were released but it is hard to do a print review when you can't see the print clearly.

So I decided I would use a scan from Kera. Unfortunately Blogger doesn't seem to be liking my pictures today so I have just one poorly lit photo (I am rubbish with photoshop so it has not been lightened). So here is that one photo-

I have to say that I have not been that impressed with Angelic Pretty recently but I do like this print. It is not very clear in my picture but the print has love heart sweets on them. I thought this was very cute. Then there are the heart shaped lollipops and jelly beans! If I was to choose a sweet which summed up Angelic Pretty, I probably would pick a jelly bean. I think the print is fun and I like the way the lollipops have been bunched together. It is kind of hard to tell with the girl sat down, but it looks as though the skirt has a lot of pouf. I also think the socks look really cool. Also I would love a tutorial on how to make one of the candies the model is posing with :)

Judging by the official photo, the headbow looks quite stiff. I think stiffer bows are easier to shape and they don't look floppy. It is also good to see that the other details are simple. The main focus point here is the print and the other details do not take the focus away. I think AP are fully aware of how much their fans love their prints so I think they made some good decisions here.

Also, I don't know if it is part of this series but one of the models was wearing this blouse which had candy stripe details on the sleeves and collars. I had a look on the Japanese site and I couldn't find the exact blouse. I noticed a similar one from the Merry Making Party series but I don't think it is the same. Again, this appeared on a photo I was unable to upload! Anyway, I thought the blouse was a good matching piece. The candy stripes had this 50's candy shop worker feel to them. The stripes really stood out but again, it was not enough to take away attention to the dress print. In my opinion, Candy treat is a well balanced series. I certainly think this is my favourite AP print of recent months.

I am MAF girl of the week :)

I got a lovely surprise this morning when I discovered I was girl of the week on My Asian Fashion! I filled in the form I was given a few weeks ago but then I totally forgot about it so it was a great way to start the day!

My Asian Fashion is a very friendly online community which has forums, live chat, games, photos, blogs and more. Most members are happy to give you advice if you need it and the site is very fun. I have met some great people on here and now I always find myself recommending this site.

Anybody who would like to see my mini interview can see it here-

http://www.myasianfashion.com/dignews/display_article/id_809/MAF-Girl-of-the-week-10-25---10-31/

I just noticed this means I am girl of the week for Halloween. Thankfully I am not that scary (I hope!). I am so happy to be picked. This has really boosted my mood today.

A trip to Oxford and the Rose

Seeing as some plans to meet local lolitas in Oxford again fell through, I ended up going with my husband James instead. Luckily he said it was a treat so I didn't need to spend any money. Thank goodness! I was meant to be spending the little money I had on Christmas presents but I ended up having to buy a load of essentials from Boots instead. It was very frustrating but at least I now have a rough idea of what I am getting some people.

The main point of the trip was to come here-

The Rose!!! A few months ago I randomly discovered this article about the best places to have tea in England. A majority of the places were in London but then I noticed there was one in Oxford that had made the list. Sadly we went too early for the afternoon tea but I was determined to go inside anyway!

To look at this picture you would never believe this cafe was one of the highest recommended in the country. It looks quite basic and the canopy even looks a little grubby. The interior is also basic and there are not many seats. This is not a place to go with a big group. Ideally you would need 5 people or less. However, I did not go downstairs so I have no idea if there is further seating. The lady who served us was polite although a little quiet. When we were seated there were only a few people but as time progressed, the Rose slowly filled up. It just goes to show how popular this place is.

I ordered the Croque Monsieur which at £6 is quite expensive but Oxford usually is pricey. I got given a plate with a small salad and my C.M and I was very content. The food tasted lovely. James got the club sandwiches and got a massive plate! I am glad I didn't order that too because there is no way I would have finished it. James also seemed pleased with his food. I just wish we had saved room for cake. Although the scones for the afternoon tea were not available at the time we chose, the Rose were serving other cakes from their menu. The lemon drizzle cake was making my mouth water. The carrot and walnut cake had a thick layer of icing on it. I really wanted some but sadly I don't think these cakes were available for takeaway.

But the whole point of going to the Rose in the first place was to sample their tea. I was not in the mood for tea myself but thankfully James was so I sampled some of his. He ordered Phoenix Pearl Dragon Tea. It is one of their two speciality teas. The tea is scented with jasmine and when you first receive your tea, the leaves are shaped like a little pearl. The cups given were small so James ended up pouring 3 cups from the pot we were given. The first cup was very delicate with a very slight hint of the jasmine. The second cup was probably the best because by then the flavour was really coming through. The third cup was a it too perfume tasting for my personal taste although it was still beautiful. The Rose has a variety of teas from different countries. I think there are about 13 different types of teas and the usual soft drinks you find in other cafes. Sipping jasmine tea in the Rose was very relaxing and I am glad I went.

Afterwards we headed back into town for a bit just for a general browse. I ended up having a make-up demonstration by this guy in Lush Cosmetics. He knew more about make-up than me! I was impressed by his knowledge. I found out that I actually have a yellowy skin tone instead of pink (and also that I am insanely pale but I already knew that). So a big thank you to the friendly man in Lush :) I also found a boutique style shop on the walk back into the town centre. It is called Aspire and it had many vintage style pieces. I will definitely go back someday so I can post my finds. After a lot of window shopping and claiming free samples from the Fudge Kitchen, we ended up in Macdonalds because we wanted to try the rolo McFlurry (very nice) and we walked up to Toys R Us with our ice cream despite the cold weather. It was fun to just walk and chat with James. As much as I love my friends, I also love being alone with James. A lot of my Christmas present inspiration actually came from Toys R Us but that is the only clue my friends are getting! I am plotting something...

Afterwards my feet were really sore. I can always tell how good my day was by the state my feet are in. I hope I can meet up with my lolita friends soon and hopefully by then I will have more money. I didn't actually dress in lolita this time. It was probably a good thing because I felt tired and the weather was not brilliant. I just placed a bow on my head and some Angelic Pretty jewellery on my fingers and headed out. I wear lolita a lot less when it is cold. I find it a bit awkward when the weather is so unpredictable. I think I need to break this habit so I can show everybody what I am wearing. Sadly with my lack of funding my wardrobe is lacking a lot of the stuff I desire. If I could have one wish for 2011, it would be to handle my money with more responsibility because I never seem to learn my lesson. I really hope my wish comes true.

AP Melty Moon accessories

Usually I don't go for items that are related to a specific holiday. I worry that I will only wear them when the holiday comes around and for the rest of the year they will just be gathering dust. But, I can't help it... I really want this ring! (I apologise to the person who I took these photos from!)

I had seen the AP Trick or Treat accessories with the bat on the sales community before but I only saw the Melty Moon jewellery today. I think it is fun to mix creepy with cute. Also, considering my lolita name is Luna Rain, I think moon jewellery like this suits me :)

Whilst I think the colour combination of orange and black is a bit too obvious for Halloween, I wouldn't mind getting hold of the black or pink ring. The person selling these ran out of them (cue sad face) but I have high hopes of them being able to get some more. I suppose making rings like these would be easy. I did find a jewellery making guide which had rings similar to these ones. I will have to wait and see what happens.

I also like the necklace but I prefer the ring. Compared to my other necklaces this one is a little bulky. If I got the pink ring, I would consider getting the matching necklace.

So my wishlist keeps growing and growing. The other day I was actually considering selling my entire trading card collection. I estimated that I could get £1000 if I sold the entire lot O_O but I don't think I have the guts to sell my entire collection. So now I am thinking of ways to sell off a little of my collection so I have the money to buy a few of my favourite things. I am getting a little weighed down by Christmas coming up and I have 3 major birthdays in November. A little part of me is actually longing for January to come!

Lolita in Secret challenged me; Lolita Pet Peeves!

Well, I saw a post on EGL about this so I decided to give it a go! So here are my top 5 lolita pet peeves (in no particular order)

1. Not being able to wear bonnets- I just don't think bonnets suit me. I have seen some absolutely stunning bonnets but when I wear them I feel like I am doing some sort of age play because I look like a big baby! Good on other people but not on me.

2. Dresses with mini pom poms in place of lace- a good example is in my last post about the new Usakumya dress. I hate them!

3. People who take advice the wrong way- when I try to give advice I try to be tactful about it and I try to be constructive. I am not trying to insult you or your co-ordination skills, I just want to suggest things to you so please don't shout at me and call me mean :(

4. Petticoats that don't stay poufy- I sometimes resort to wearing 2 petticoats because I find some just lack the pouf you are trying to achieve. I hear you should hang your petticoats upside down so the pouf stays so I may give this a go.

5. Competing with other lolitas for bargains- whenever I see something I want on the sales community, I see somebody has already come along and snapped it up! The English brand sites always seem to be out of stock, lucky packs sell out in seconds and some sites are slow because of the sheer number of people visiting at the same time. I sometimes feel like I am entering a war zone! I plan to get a lucky pack at the end of the year but whether I will actually be able to get one is debatable. I especially don't like people who buy lucky packs just to sell them on for a higher price. If you don't want them for yourselves, please save them for somebody else.

It felt quite good getting that off my chest! Although lolita can be a stressful hobby, I think the positives outweigh the negatives and I think my pet peeves are relatively small worries (except the last one maybe). OK, challenge complete!

Usakumya- the latest from baby

Usakumya is back! Whilst I think these designs are a bit too young looking for my personal taste, I thought some of the details were interesting.

What I like about the JSK is the ribbon detailing. They have folded the ribbon and it is quite effective. It would look strange to have the ribbons flat in this sort of position but by folding it, it helps to lift the ribbon so it is not flat and dull looking. There is just one line of heart lace running across the bodice and 2 bows. However, I have never been a fan of the little pom poms like the ones along the bottom hem. These pom poms look fairly small but I still dislike them. I would have preferred lace here. Also, the polka dot ribbon used is very shiny. I can't help but notice that it looks almost identical to a ribbon that was tying up this pyjama set I got from Primark recently. Maybe if I hadn't purchased those pyjamas I would have liked it more. The strange thing is, that although there are lots of details, I still think this is a simple looking dress.

The coat looks very thick and it would probably keep you very warm. I like the use of fake fur. Whilst I don't like the pom poms on the dress, I like the ones on the coat. It sort of imitates rabbit tails so it fits the theme. There is also a heart on the back with two additional pom poms but this is removable so if you thought it was too much, you can just put it aside. The ribbon used here is less appealing to me. Overall my favourite part of the coat is the collar. I love having something warm to tickle my neck.

There are also two bags I noticed being released. Usakumya bunny shaped bags are popular (although I have spotted that they also have their haters) but these new bags just feature the Usakumya logo featured on the dress and coat. One is furry and the other is heart shaped. Will these be as popular as the bunny bags, I wonder? I do not intend to get a Usakumya bag anytime soon but if I did I would want the bunny bag rather than just the logo (my favourite bunny bag is the black version).

In other news, my husband is treating me to afternoon tea on Friday! I hate being broke but it is his treat. I have a lovely kind husband! I am very excited about it because the place we are going to is very popular and has a good reputation. The place is called the Rose and it is in Oxford. It recently got some high praise and its most famous tea is a Jasmine tea called Phoenix Pearl Dragon. I know James will be going for this tea. I will probably be having a traditional cream tea with scones, clotted cream and mini sandwiches. The Rose is somewhere I have wanted to go to for a while now. It is great when you get to do things you have been looking forward to :)

Japanese sizes and me.

Today I was at a loss about what I should talk about. I thought I should do an entry today but I have not finished some entries I was planning. I decided to do a design review but seeing as I did a big review not that long ago, I ended up looking on Bodyline.

That is when I came across this-

This is Bodyline's latest dress (I think it is quite cute). But it was not the design that caught my attention, it was the model's measurements. Bust- 77cm, waist- 58cm, hips- 85cm. My first thought was whether the models would appreciate their measurements being so widely published (would you want YOUR measurements on the internet for all to see?). My second thought was just how much smaller Japanese and Asian girls in general are.

A 58cm waist!? If my waist was this size I would be considered malnourished. I have recently lost a little bit of weight. My waist size has gone down to just over 27 inches (about 70cm) and considering I suffer from a stomach complaint which causes me a lot of problems, I am very happy with my waist size. My bust size is pretty average. I am bottom heavy so I am larger on the hips but because of the standard lolita clothing shape, it is not too obvious. Not that long ago, my waist was around 76cm. Compared to the model, that is a 18cm difference. I can fit into brand but usually I have to get the largest size so it is comfortable.

Although Asian girls are small, I can't help but wonder how natural some of these girls are. How much do these girls eat? Is it really just down to genes or are these girls taking some sort of slimming pill? In Western culture we are shocked when we see images of size 0 celebrities. But what would be considered too skinny to Japanese girls? Some of the Bodyline models must be around a Western size 0.

I am not in any way condemning these girls. Chances are, they are naturally slim. But if you were to ask me why Japanese brands are reluctant to open shops for the Western market, I would say it is because they would have to make bigger sizes. We can't help being big! I guess it is a lot of hassle for lolita designers to make bigger sizes, especially when lolita is such a small market.

I was surprised to hear Angelic Pretty were opening a store in America. There is already a Baby store in America and Paris has both a Baby and an Angelic Pretty. If these shops are to succeed they will need to adjust to Western needs. There is no point buying brand if you have to breathe in just to do up the zip.

Although losing weight was not my goal (I was trying to cut down on sugar and junk anyway so the weight just came off) I have to admit that I was secretly pleased with my smaller waist. That makes me feel really disgusted with myself. I don't want to develop an eating disorder just so I can fit into more brand. I am still eating healthily but I still end up staring at very thin girls. I always thought I had a healthy attitude towards food but I am only human. I read Heat magazine and wonder how heavy celebrities are. I will feel guilty if I eat too much.

I am not anorexic but I can see how easy it is to develop an eating disorder. That makes me feel sad.

Give brown a chance.

So you are interested in lolita and you are starting out. Or maybe you are a seasoned lolita looking to extend your wardrobe. Lolita items are expensive so you want to get items that would be easy to match up with other items. The most obvious choices are probably black or white. These colours can become a really strong staple in your wardrobe and if you are unsure about an outfit, black or white are easy colours are a safe option to finish off your look.

But just recently, I have really been craving brown items. Sometimes it feels great to refresh your wardrobe by choosing something a bit different. I believe that brown is a lot easier to wear than people think. Pink, mint, blue, red and many other colours can go well with brown. Plus brown looks a little softer than harsh black tones. With Autumn's arrival we are seeing more Autumnal colours coming through and brown suits these perfectly. Brown is usually considered a dull colour but I disagree.

If you are unsure about brown pieces you could start with something small. Like an accessory. This Innocent World bag is very classical and you could easily use it whilst you are not in lolita because it has a grown up fashionable look.

Some shades of brown almost look black so making the leap to brown is not that huge a step. However, other shades of brown can be easy to wear too. I adore these Innocent World boots. I was going to use a picture from Rose Chocolat but they disabled the right click function. The Rose Chocolat boots are called the Classic Heart Boots and the only reason I have not purchased a pair is because they cost $180. Ouch! I would happily get these in every colour if I could. http://www.rosechocolat.com/shop/step1.php?number=355

Classic lolita brands like Innocent World love brown. It can be used very effectively. However, it is not just classic lolita that makes good use of the colour.

Melty Chocolate by Angelic Pretty was a very popular print and it recently got another release with different colour options. Those of you who looked at my Hyper Japan photos will know I bought some brown Melty Chocolate rings. The good thing about this print is that the brown is not too dominant. If you didn't want to wear a dress where brown is the main colour but the brown was still present, prints like these would be perfect.

Sweet lolita pieces that use brown do not necessarily need to feature sweet items like chocolate. One of Bodyline's most popular designs was this Love Nadia dress with the forest scene. And you have the option to go for a full brown version or a more sweet colour. If you were still nervous about trying brown then a dress like this is a good example of how to introduce the colour slowly. It would not be too hard to find shoes and accessories to match Love Nadia.

Yes, black and white are still easier to wear but don't automatically dismiss brown next time you go shopping :)

I finally submitted my Bodyline design!

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae277/Luna_Rain_photos/Bodyline%20Design%20Contest%20Entry/3D-Rose-Coat-Design.jpg

After weeks of trying to gain access to a working scanner, I have finally managed to submit my idea for the Bodyline design contest. I posted the link above on myasianfashion.com and the general verdict is that although it would be difficult to sit down without crumpling the roses, people seem to like my design!

But does Bodyline like it?

The e-mail response I got from Bodyline was very brief. It was basically to say thank you for entering and that I would get the product sent to me if my design got selected. The important thing is that I didn't get turned down. I am keeping my hopes up for now. Some of my friends have already told me they want it and getting a free coat would be really nice. It would certainly solve my problem of saving up money for a coat!

Please make my coat Bodyline!

At the moment I am raiding my house for items I can sell on ebay. It is sort of my back-up plan in case the coat is not accepted and I need to fund a new coat. Also, at the end of the year I would really like to get myself a lucky pack from Baby the Stars Shine Bright. These babies run out way too quickly for my liking! I have never taken part in the lucky part madness so I will have fun updating this blog with my experiences in January. Lolita is a difficult hobby when you don't have a regular source of income.

So what happens next is in Bodyline's hands. I guess my chances are just as good as anybody else's chances. Fingers crossed!

Vampire Forest by Alice and the Pirates

Well, I said in my last post that I would consider reviewing this series and here it is! There is also a new Usakumya which Baby have just announced. I may review this once there are better images available.

Halloween is a time where lots of lolita brands get all spooky and release a lot of darker prints. Great news for gothic lolitas! Unsurprisingly, Alice and the Pirates is one of the brands which has released a gothic print in time for the end of the month.

This set comprises of 3 dresses, a skirt, a head bow and some socks. To be honest I think the skirt is better than any of the dresses. This is mainly because I don't like a lot of the bodice details. Here is one of the bodice close-up pictures.

I am not liking the random lace panel. It is not a very appealing shape and it is just sitting there looking a little floppy and lifeless. This is probably the blandest of the designs. In my opinion it looks like this one is really lacking something. Too many details can look bad but maybe this one is a little too plain?

Then we have this one-

That lace looks very itchy! It looks like with this design, AatP were trying to make it look like a 2-piece set instead of a dress. I think this bodice could have looked better. If you look closely you will see the start of the skirt has a lot of gathering. The dress as a whole has a nice shape to it. If only the bodice was as good as the skirt part.

Then there is the final dress.

This one is called the Elisabeth dress and there is more of the itchy looking lace! I think the bodice here is an improvement on the other two. On this one the lace makes it look as though you are wearing a separate cardigan. I can't quite decide if the black panel on the front looks good or not.

Here is a close-up of the print-

It is a shame I don't like the dresses because I think the print is stunning. The colour of the roses really stands out. There are lots of trees and castles, but my favourite bit is the bat hanging off the lantern. This set is available in purple, navy, red and black.

I do like the socks for this set.

There have been quite a few socks with rose prints but I am a rose fan :) My favourite pair are the black and red ones. The black and blue ones almost look like Moi Meme Moitie socks.

Overall, I don't think this set is that good. The dresses vary in quality so the skirt is probably a less risky choice. I think it is the lace that lets this set down more than anything else. If anybody was thinking of trying gothic lolita for the first time, then I would try a different set. I think this set would be difficult to wear if you are a beginner.

Recent brand prints

Lots of brands have been releasing new prints since I last reviewed some. Today I will be doing 3 different prints which have caught my attention. Also worth a mention is the new Alice and the Pirates set called Vampire Forest. I don't know if I will be doing a review on this or not at the moment.

So, for my first review I have chosen the new Baby print called Cinderella Jewelry. Pictured here is the princess one piece. There are 3 dresses and 1 skirt design but this is by far my favourite of the lot.

The dress pictured is in my favourite colour from the series, royal blue. This set also comes in brown and Victorian black. There is also Rococo pink and a cream colour but I don't think these colours suit the imagery of this print as well (although they still look pretty). I love how the front is parted at the front showing a bit of white bustle underneath. I prefer bustle details which appear on the front because when they are on the back they can make your backside look huge. The sleeves are detachable. I quite like the sleeves so I think this dress looks good both with and without them attached. This dress has lots of cute little details like the necklace around the neck which features the Baby heart logo and the buttons are shaped like roses.

Here is the print close-up featuring lots of draped jewels and Cinderella running down the staircase after losing her shoe. It is a very romantic image and it is instantly recognisable as the Cinderella story. There is a lot of shoe themed jewellery that accompanies this set. Although beautiful, the jewellery did not really stand out as anything special to me. I think this a very strong series. I applaud Baby's design. I just wish I was able to fit into my favourite dress above! It turns out I will need to get a different one because I only just fit into the maximum measurement!

Next up we have Merry Making Party from Angelic Pretty. There are times where I hate reviewing Angelic Pretty because the images take longer to come out so for now I am making do with this picture.

An interesting point to this print is the inclusion of alcohol. There is a cocktail glass featured here and overall the print has a New Year's Eve party feel to it. Although this print is quite standard for AP, it doesn't quite look as overcrowded or very cutesy as other series. I think this is an improvement. Just recently I have not liked AP's prints as much but I could imagine myself getting to like this series a lot. One of my favourite bits is the stripy bows included on the dresses to the right of the image and the smaller blue dress pictured. I think they improve the dresses and I wouldn't have minded having a matching stripy head bow. As I said before, I think this is standard Angelic Pretty so people are either going to go mad for it or they wont be that impressed.

And for my last pick, I am reviewing Nostalgic Chessboard by Metamorphose. I am really in love with Meta right now! I adored Moonlight Night which I forgot to review (sorry!) and now I have seen this print featuring a chessboard. I really want this one in black! (or maybe navy blue). This print comes in an interesting choice of colours- Black, navy Blue, grey and a very dark looking green colour. A very classic looking set. Like the Angelic Pretty set, this set also features stripy bows! Metamorphose has taken the stripes a bit further by using it on some of the trims and at the bottom hem of the skirt.

This model is wearing my pick of the 3 dresses available. I like the 2 bows near the shoulders. I also think this dress has the nicest shape. One of the other dresses which has 3 bows running down the front of the bodice, has a skirt with 2 tiers and I thought the silhouette looked a bit lumpy. The skirts have been made to be slightly shorter so if you firmly believe that lolita skirts need to be knee-length (I personally don't have an issue with this but I know lolitas who insist on knee-length) then this one may not be to some people's taste.

Caro-chan from F**k Yeah Lolita commented on how it is similar to Meta's Old Emblem print. As many of you probably know, I love Old Emblem! That is probably why I really want this print. Other brands have done chess board prints but I think this is my favourite. Some other chess prints have a very strong Alice in Wonderland sub-theme. I have nothing against Alice but there are already so many Alice inspired prints. I don't think Meta intended this to be an Alice inspired print and they have used crowns and little trinkets instead of obvious Alice themed items.

And here is a draft picture of the socks from this Meta set. Even if I can't get the dress, I fully intend to get my hands on these socks. I want these so much!

Right now I am debating which is the best way to spend my money. I currently can't afford to buy much lolita during this Hyper Japan aftermath period. Plus Christmas is coming up too! Why is it that loads of good things always choose to come out at the same time? I want the Baby and Meta prints featured above. Sigh.

Some things I have learnt about myself

I have been doing a lot of thinking about how I have changed since I first got into lolita. I think it is important to sit down every now and then to think about where you are with the fashion and where you would like to be in the future. In a short space of time I have changed a lot. The more I discover about myself, the more I think about my hopes and dreams. And so, I decided to write them down and maybe in another few years I can look back at this entry and maybe I will have achieved some of my goals.

- I don't want to abandon sweet lolita, but I would like to try other styles more and maybe move away from the sweet. At the moment sweet lolita is my main lolita style of choice. My wardrobe is sugary sweet and cute. But as I am 22, I sometimes feel a little silly wearing sweet. Sweet does not need to be over the top but with brands like Angelic Pretty leading the sweet crowd, I am starting to feel a little alienated. Angelic Pretty have not always put out these sugary overdoses. If you look at old AP stuff it is a lot more calmer and that is the sort of sweet style I like. I miss those sort of sweet dresses. I admit I do like some of the cutesy sweet stuff but I want to keep my purchases of these to a minimum for now on. Unless I really like one, in which case I may consider it XD

- I want to extend my classic lolita pieces. I am finding myself craving Innocent World and Victorian Maiden. Even some Metamorphose pieces have been good. Since wearing my Old Emblem Meta skirt at the weekend, I have been receiving loads of complements. I didn't realise it was such a popular print! Classic lolita makes me feel good inside. However, I am also starting to get drawn in by the gothic pieces. Since meeting some gothic lolitas, I realise that gothic lolita does not need to mean a totally black wardrobe. Eastern gothic is so different from western gothic style. I find church and gate prints very appealing, especially in dusky purple hues. I don't mind wearing black but I like experimenting with colour too.

- I do not want to become "E-Famous" or a "Lolita celebrity". I just really want to meet new people and make friends with people who understand my passion for lolita, people who share my interests and that I will look forward to meeting. Yes, I would love this blog to become a success but there is a lot more pressure when you become well-known. I imagine all these well-known lolitas have more pressure to look perfect because other lolitas have become used to seeing you looking a certain way. You are almost expected to look perfect. But these girls are only human and lolita is a fashion. We should all have the freedom to experiment and that could result in making some bad choices. But as long as you learn from your mistakes, then I think mistakes can be a good thing. Personally, I think I looked like a proper ita (cosplay-lolita) at the start but hopefully I have improved since then.

- I now know that I have the potential to make lots of friends. I am getting better at approaching people and talking to them. This is a big deal for me because I suffer from anxiety and depression. I used to have these really bad panic attacks and I am not completely panic-attack free now. When I make new friends and go out I feel like I am laughing at my anxiety. Being able to do things so freely is a huge boost to me.

- Tania Tanzil is my new style crush. Since seeing her at Hyper Japan, I have been in total awe of her. I took a notepad with me because I planned to make notes about what was happening to post on here. Instead I ended up writing loads of notes about what Tania was wearing and how she was wearing it. My notepad turned into a total Tania love-in! I already liked Misako Aoki and I made some notes on her too :) I was a bit too shy to talk to her but I am now friends with her on livejournal. So maybe I will get the chance to meet her and talk to her properly. Yay!

- I used to ignore Black Peace Now but since seeing their clothes I have changed my mind. I really like some of their stuff, especially the capes!

- I am finding buying brand second-hand a lot easier. Wearing brand felt like an impossible dream when I started but I now know that second-hand lolita sales do exist. My main places to shop are EGL Sales community on livejournal and Closet Child. I have absolutely no issue with Bodyline and I will still buy from them but I now have the option to buy brand and I will be doing more research on my options.

- Speaking of Bodyline, I think their quality may have improved slightly recently. I really like some of their new items. Plus, I can always check out reviews online if I am unsure about buying something

- I have gotten stuck in a hair and make-up rut and I want to extend my styles further. It is hard to style hair when it is so thick and heavy but I am still going to give it a go. I also vow to spend more afternoons messing around with my make-up. Nobody else is going to see me so I can be as risky as I like and then post of the good ones online.

- In my opinion, the best tea parties are the ones where there is a good variety of food choices. I love cupcakes but I can only eat so many. Sugar upsets my stomach and I had to be tested for diabetes (negative result, thank goodness). Please try and cater for more tastes please! I want to hold my own tea party but I will probably wait until after Winter. I am looking at online guides to find out how to hold a successful party. There will be sweet stuff. One idea I had was to give everybody a personalised cupcake!

- I need to be more organised when I wear lolita. No matter how much time I leave, I always end up running late and I end up looking like a scruffy mess. Towards the end of the day I look a total wreck!

- I need to get back into my scrap-booking. I have a secret lolita scrapbook which is full of items I have cut out but recently I have abandoned it. Spending an afternoon scrap-booking is therapeutic.

- I intend to make a lolita shopping plan. I will find the gaps in my wardrobe so I can fill them before I buy any more new stuff. Lolita is expensive to learning how to shop smartly is key. Who knows... if I am successful I may even write a shopping guide entry on here.

So those are some of the thoughts I have been pondering. Sometimes it feels good to just write about how you are feeling.

The Hyper Japan experience!

I am still recovering from Hyper Japan. My muscles are all achy and I think I may have caught a cold but it was worth it!

I couldn't resist hugging this giant Chopper (from One Piece). As you may have noticed, I wore my Metamorphose Old Emblem print skirt, matching hair comb and the black cardigan I recently ordered from the Bodyline sale. The socks are also from Bodyline and the shoes are from a shop in Swindon called Blue Banana.

So here is my run-down on Hyper Japan-

The all-important PHOTOS!!!

You can view all the photos and videos I took at the event by going to this link-

http://s979.photobucket.com/albums/ae277/Luna_Rain_photos/Hyper%20Japan%20Oct%202010/

All the content should be public so go have a look!

The Kera and Baby the Stars Shine Bright shops

As I may have mentioned before, this was the first time that a lot of the lolita brands who attended HJ have appeared in the UK. The biggest names like Angelic Pretty and Baby were there and they were selling stuff! The shopping area itself was quite small but I still managed to buy lots of accessories. Kera were selling back issues of their magazine and there were also Japanese language Gothic and Lolita Bibles up for grabs. The Kera issues were selling for £7 and the GLBs for £20 (which is not as bad as some prices I have seen in London).

Obviously the biggest part of the shop was the Baby bit. Baby had their own little section of the shop and they were selling both Baby and Alice and the Pirates. A majority of their items were headbows (most were around £40) but there were socks, blouses and tops as well. There were a few bits of jewellery but not much. It is worth mentioning that I saw some Baby dresses being sold for around £120 which is very cheap. I am kicking myself for not saving up even more money. Most of their stuff was fairly recent. They had Aristo Kitty's Invitation which is a recent series.

The next most prominent brand in the shop had to be Angelic Pretty. There were a lot of socks on sale for around £23 (I got myself some wonder cookie socks!) and headbows too. I got myself some Melty Chocolate rings. I noticed there was also a ring with a teacup on it but I decided the 2 rings and socks were enough. It appeared as though there were no AP dresses being sold. If there were AP dresses there then some lolitas must have quickly snapped those up. The stock being sold was not as recent and up to date as the Baby stock. The melty chocolate stuff had recently been restocked but a lot of the items were from series released earlier in the year.

I was disappointed with Innocent World because apart from the odd hairbow and skirt, there was not a lot there. There was obviously a stronger focus on the sweet and gothic styles in the shop and at first I didn't even notice the few bits of Innocent World on display. I think this was a bit of a wasted opportunity. Currently, Innocent World do not take international orders. This event would have been a good place to showcase their stuff.

Another disappointment for me was Moi Meme Moitie. I had only seen a few bits of Moitie in person before this event. So I had a look at some of their dresses and I was greeted with very flimsy material. It looked like the material was quite stretchy which is useful because these dresses were tiny. I know Moitie has a lot of fans but in my opinion I don't think their quality justifies their higher prices. However, I was impressed with their jewellery. Sadly I don't wear gothic enough to justify buying it.

The Kera Fashion Show

If you go to the link which I gave above to see my photos, then you will also find videos I took of the models and the panel. Misako Aoki was only a few metres away from me. She is very adorable in real life. An English based lolita called Tanya was also there. Some of you may know Tanya as Pixie Late. I watched with fascination as Tanya had her hair done on stage. By the end her hair was bigger than her head. Tanya was wearing 3 wigs, a hair bow and some tulle shaped into large bows as well. It was a really useful demonstration. If I can, I will try to write it up some time. On the day I went, Moi Meme Moitie, Black Peace Now and Baby were being showcased. My favourite was the Moitie model but all three girls looked incredible. The action was a little slow paced in places. It didn't help that the microphones stopped working in places. At the end all the lolitas in the audience were invited onstage. I did not get up on stage because I had spotted Popi and bambi from Neo magazine and decided to chase after them before they disappeared. Watching the show definitely gave me a lot to think about.

Trends

So what were the English lolitas wearing? Here are the biggest trends that I spotted-

-Although lots of brands were being worn by the public, it became clear early on that English lolitas love Angelic Pretty. It was everywhere you looked.

- Lots of girls had decorated their headbows by adding on extra clips and badges

- Big hair was also very popluar

- The most worn colour was probably pink but there were also many gothic lolitas

- A majority of the lolitas who attended were either in sweet or gothic

- I noticed that a lot of girls were wearing metallic star shaped clips (they looked like the sort of thing Chocochip would make)

- Tanya had attached a pom pom to her bag. The woman who did her hair had a fake fox tail attached to her belt. So maybe pom poms are something to watch out for

- Most of the prints worn by lolitas had sweets or cakes on them

The other exhibitors

I am glad I had my ID card handy because I got a free shot of limited edition sake! Many food stands were handling out little samplers. I enjoyed this little savoury thing which tasted of curry (I have forgotten what it was!) and I discovered that I actually like some sushi after all. I thought I hated sushi. It turns out I just hate Tescos sushi. There was very limited anime and manga on offer and Hyper Japan focused more on Japanese culture. The top prize for the cosplaying competition was a trip to Japan (lucky!) and you could get your photo taken by these giant Tokyo backdrops. Some people treated themselves to eyelash extensions or you could try on traditional kimonos. I had a go at making a deco sweets pendant. I wont know how it looks until it is finished drying next week. I made a strawberry/kiwi combo pendant. It was my very first try at deco so I hope it looks great.

James and I left Hyper Japan by mid-afternoon because we were mainly there for the fashion show. I did manage to catch the voice artists from Milky Holmes performing (they seemed to be having a great time!) before I left. We hung around Leicester Square for a bit before going home. In fact, I managed to find a cupcake place which was selling gourmet cupcakes. I may be popping in when I next go to London!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this post. It took me ages to type it all! Please check out my pictures and videos!

HJ stuff should be up tomorrow (hopefully)

I am tired and my muscles are all achy. I have spent most of today lazing around and watching DVD's. Hyper Japan was fantastic! There are loads of videos and pictures including videos of the fashion show. I was just a few metres away from Misako Aoki and I met Popi and Bambi from Neo magazine! Expect the full update very soon :)