My Latest Taobao Haul- Picture Heavy

Before I start today's post, I would like to warn people that there is a small possibility that my Monday post might be late. It is my birthday! But hopefully if all goes to plan, you wont notice anything different.

A few weeks back I did a big Taobao order and today I shall be reviewing it. I used Taobao Spree again to place my order. I don't think it is worth me reviewing Taobao Spree again as I am clearly happy with the service they offer. However, if you do want to see my Taobao Spree review the last one is here- http://luna-rain.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/taobao-order-review-january-2014.html 

I going to list the names of the stores and give a link to the shop front. 

Kira Kira- Store link

I am starting off today with Kira Kira, which is a Taobao store that is slowly increasing in popularity. They do loads of cute hair accessories in a wide variety of colours. I was told that the items from this store would take about 2 weeks to make. I would definitely recommend this store, especially if you are looking to expand your hair accessory collection. 

The first thing I ordered was this navy blue rose clip with dangling pearls and bow. The Taobao listing was set out clearly and it was easy to work out which colour code I needed to order. Instead of listing things by their colour, they use an alphabet letter system, so if you see two that are a similar colour but are not sure which to order, the letter system means you know exactly which colour you are getting. As you can see the fake rose is of a good quality. I spotted no fabric fraying at all. The ribbon is a bit shiny, but there were no loose threads at all. I do think the ribbon bow could have been tied a bit neater, but apart from that I think this item is lovely.

On the back, the clip is attached to a simple alligator clip, which I prefer anyway as barrette clips can be a bit fiddly. There is just the tiniest of glue marks on the back but it is not noticeable. In fact, looking back at this picture, I can't even see where the glue spot is!

I also got this pink and white bow clip. Again, the roses are of a decent quality. This time the ribbon used is grosgrain ribbon, which is matte. I am not too keen on the 2 random pearls attached to the ribbon on the outer edges, as I find the placement a bit odd.

The pearl chain and glass charms are spaced out evenly and dangle nicely. The lace used is very pretty too. I love the lace design.

And finally from Kira Kira, I got this beautiful white hair piece with side veil. The listing was a little confusing as it gave the option of either head band customisation or overall customisation. So I wasn't really sure what the difference between the two options was. I opted for overall customisation, which it turns out was the option I wanted anyway. The head band is a good size for an adult head and it feels very comfortable to wear.

The veil material is soft and the tiers are layered well. I love the way they hang down, but I think the veil could have done with being slightly longer. It still looks amazing when worn though. The top tier of the veil has small dotted pearls all over it (you can see one of the pearls in the photo above) which is a really lovely detail. The lace used is of a reasonably good quality. The flower design of the lace matches up well with the floral design.

The veil is topped with a small pearl chain with a bow and cross charm. The cross charm is so pretty. I actually think the bow is a bit too bulky for where it is though. 

The large clusters of fake roses is maybe a bit OTT for some but I think the end result is amazing. Again, there is no fraying fabric on the roses. I did notice that one of the petals had fallen out of place so I will probably have to sew that, but that was the only issue I had with this veil.

And if the roses and veil were not OTT enough, the base is like a lacy headdress too! This veil is not for the faint hearted! The lace used is of a same level of quality as the other items I ordered. The ribbon used is again a little shiny, but I don't think matte ribbon would have worked as well in this instance. 

So overall, I do feel that you get good value for money with Kira Kira. They have some very lovely OTT pieces, but also some more simple stuff. There is a good range of sweet and classic items. Some of the designs definitely remind me of Japanese brand items. I think I will be ordering again from Kira Kira, as their items make good wardrobe fillers.

Rococo Soul- Store Link 

Next up is the gloves I purchased from Rococo Soul. Unfortunately I got the last pair of gloves! But keep an eye out, because maybe Rococo Soul will release more gloves in the future. The lace used is of a fairly good quality. I have been searching for gloves for quite some time and out of all the ones I have seen, these gloves are some of the best I have seen. I love the frothy looking lace wrist parts too.

Although the ribbon is a little bent in this picture, that is easily fixed. I really love the crown bow brooch on these. The ribbon used is soft and has a lovely slight shimmer to it. The crown part is lovely too, with no missing rhinestones, although I have a feeling I have seen these crowns used elsewhere. I swear I have seen a crown necklace using the same crown. The rhinestones help perk up the ribbon bow too, without looking too OTT. The pearl chain is a nice finishing touch.

Then I tried the gloves on and they fitted perfectly. The material feels so soft against my skin. Sometimes lace gloves can feel a bit scratchy, but that is not a problem with these gloves at all. I could see myself wearing these gloves comfortably for a very long time. I am about a glove size 7, which I think is about perfect for these gloves. The material is a bit stretchy, but I wouldn't risk it if your hand is much bigger than a 7.

Lele- Store Link

These butterfly clips from Lele were a bit of an impulse buy, but they were so cheap and for the price I paid I was happy with what I received. The butterflies are on simple alligator clips. They are easy to use and seem to stay in place well. The colours are vibrant. The butterflies are quite realistic looking and the wings have plenty of detail to them. I even got given a free orange butterfly ring with my order. It was a shame that they didn't give me a ring in a matching colour, but it was still lovely to get a little something extra.

Infanta- Store Link

I also ordered a navy blue blouse from Infanta. This blouse is their Fairy Dance design. I have heard online that Infanta blouses run a bit small, so I deliberately went up a size. Although I get the impression I would have fitted my usual size, I am glad that I did go a size up. It certainly didn't look too big on me and it felt quite comfortable. The chiffon is very soft and feels like it is of a good quality. The buttons are a bit simple in design, but for the cheap price I am not complaining about it. 

The sleeves have an elasticated band, which helps it to fit better. I was a bit concerned the sleeves may not drape nicely because of it, but it actually doesn't look too bad (see below). The lace has a very pretty design, but I feel it is a little too wide.

The off-shoulder design will probably not suit everybody (especially those with a wide shoulder) but I still think it is a good design. The neck ruffles sit nicely. I couldn't see any loose threads anywhere and the construction was good.

There is a ribbon corset on the back, which gives a bit of size flexibility. Due to going a size up, I found I had to lace myself quite tightly. 

Here is one photo of how the arms drape.

And here is another, with my arm a bit further down. Out of all the photos, I think this last one is the closest to what the colour looks like in person. I do feel the blouse sleeves could have draped a bit better, but it looks better in person than it does in my photos. The sleeves are meant to be 3-quarter length, which can be a tricky length. I personally think it looks good and you can tell it is meant to be that length, instead of giving the illusion of the blouse being too short. But with the stretchy band I found I could push the sleeves up a bit and it had a nice effect. The blouse is a bit see-through (I am actually wearing a top underneath the blouse in these photos) so it will require a camisole or to be worn underneath a JSK.

Little Dipper- Store link

Finally, I ordered a navy blue underskirt from Little Dipper. I think that technically it is meant to be a skirt or petticoat? But a lot of lolitas have been using them as an underskirt. It is good to know I do have the option of wearing it as a normal skirt though. It is a very versatile piece. This underskirt works out at roughly £25 and for the quality I do feel this is worth it.

Little Dipper have 2 listings for this underskirt. One appears to just have one length and the other has a variety of different lengths. I told my Taobao agent my waist measurement, just in case, so that I knew for sure that it would fit. I ordered the navy blue underskirt with the 60cm length. This photograph shows the most accurate colour for the skirt in real life. I can't get over how full and full of volume the skirt is. But despite its weight, it still flared out well when I stuck petticoats underneath it and it created a really pretty shape. Sadly, I forgot to take worn photos of the skirt though. The materials are lovely and soft. The length was definitely accurate. I actually found this skirt a bit too bulky to wear underneath the dress I was planning to use it with, but I feel that is more down to my choice of dress, rather than a problem with the skirt. As this is my first underskirt, I think I need to learn how to layer it properly and experiment a bit with it.

The waist band is fully elasticated. When I put it on I found it very stretchy with plenty of room to spare. However, it is worth noting that the elastic is very strong and I found it clung to me quite tightly. If you are somebody who suffers from digestive problems or has a sensitive stomach, you might find this skirt digs in a little too much.

And here is a shot of the ruffles at the bottom of the skirt. The stitching has been done so neatly and there were no loose threads anywhere. The ruffles are neatly layered and have lots of shape and movement to them. It certainly creates a very dramatic effect. 

So overall, I think this was a very successful Taobao order. There isn't anything in the order that I am unhappy with and the quality is well worth the price paid. Taobao Spree and my favourite agent Cici were wonderful, as usual. Once again, my Taobao order didn't get hit by customs either. I was surprised by that, considering I got EMS shipping and my package was so big! This order has just encouraged me to place even more Taobao orders in the future. Once you get the hang of it, Taobao is definitely a good option for getting cheap lolita items.