I just wanted to say a quick thank you to Shalisa for the lovely Valentine she made for Sammi and me this week. I am so lucky to have 2 fantastic friends who are always there for me. I always look forward to talking to you both and meeting up! Post is here.
Today I am having a look at Magic Princess by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 3 dresses, a head bow, socks, a bag, gloves and wrist cuffs.
First up today is the Round JSK. The bodice looks well fitted and I think the shape is really pretty. I don't think the scoop neckline is going to suit everybody though. The straps seem to be a reasonable width and they suit the style of bodice. I really love the use of lace along the straps and the neckline. The lace is of a good quality and has a pretty design. It has been layered well and it gives the neckline a soft, frothy appearance. The line of gold braid on the inside of the neckline helps to balance out the use of gold in the print and elsewhere in the dress design. The bodice features a double ribbon corset design. The ribbon corsets are well positioned and a good size. I like that the ribbon doesn't look too bunched together too. Also, the ribbon doesn't look that shiny and the lace holding the ribbon in place looks secure, so it doesn't look at all flimsy. There are 3 gold star buttons running up the centre of the bodice, which helps to break up the plain area in the centre without being too distracting. The design of the buttons is cute too! There is a bow on the neckline which has a really cute shape. I personally would have liked the bow to have been just slightly smaller, but I think the size of the bow is pretty reasonable. The back has a panel of shirring, which has been topped neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show that the skirt has a great amount of volume to it and it flares outwards plenty. There is more than enough room for petticoat and the potential to create a really cute shape. I love how rounded the skirt is. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed excellently. The bottom hem is then finished off with a simple tulle ruffle. Although I don't think the tulle looks bad, I think lace would have worked better here. If AP had done a double layer of lace or something, it could have matched the neckline really well.
Next up we have the Napoleon JSK. The bodice looks well fitted, although there is something about the bodice shape which looks a bit 'off' to me. I think it may be the shape of the neckline with that style of straps and the way the straps have been attached to the dress. Something about that area just doesn't look quite right. The straps also look a bit thin and I don't think they suit the style of the dress. Although the tulle parts on the shoulder are a nice idea, I don't think the way the tulle has been shaped quite works. Maybe it would have worked better if there were more layers of tulle as well. As it is, it just looks a random shape of tulle has been thrown on the shoulders with little thought put in to it. Also, I feel the soft, floaty feel of the shoulder tulle is at odds with the military theme on the main part of the bodice. I can see what AP were aiming for, but they don't quite pull it off in my opinion. There is a large waist bow, which I really love the shape of. It has sharp, defined edges and it sits on the dress really well. The star charms on the waist bow are a nice added touch too. The bodice features 3 pairs of buttons with a chain between them to give the bodice a military look. The buttons are well spaced out and have a nice design to them. I am not sure I like the lines of gold lace though, as the way it has been shaped, it sort of looks a bit coffin-like! It just doesn't appeal to me and I think the gold lace could have been done a lot better. There is a bow on the neckline, which I feel could have been smaller, but the shape is really cute. It looks very perky and sits well on the dress. The back of the dress is fully shirred, which means plenty of size flexibility, but it isn't that attractive to look at. The stock photos show the skirt is very voluminous with and it flares outwards generously. There is lots of potential to create a great shape. The skirt is again kept simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with a thin line of gold lace and a simple tulle ruffle. If nothing else, at least the tulle matches up with the shoulder parts.
Here we have the OP. The bodice seems to be well fitted and the shape is quite interesting. I really love the chiffon sleeves and it seems they have a generous amount of length to them. The cuffs have been gathered so well and have a beautiful shape to them. It is interesting how the dress has been given a set of "straps" and if it wasn't for the open part between the "straps" it would really look as though this is a JSK with a blouse underneath, rather than an OP. The choker material is soft and floaty. However, I am not too keen on the pearl chain dangling from it, as it looks a bit too OTT. Also, with that extra weight, it is going to pull the choker downwards so it doesn't sit on the neck properly. The bodice features a ribbon corset in the centre. The ribbon is well spaced out and it only has a slight sheen to it. It's a really good choice of ribbon throughout the whole of the series. I am a bit unsure about the lace used to line the edges of the ribbon corset though. It looks a little bit messy and maybe some thinner lace would have given the bodice a smarter look here. The bodice also features some thin lines of gold lace, although they don't really stand out that much and they don't add a lot to the design. I guess it is more to fill the empty areas without looking too OTT. I am not a fan of the large bow on the chest area. The shape is cute and I like the way it has been lined with thin gold lace, but I think it makes the bodice look a bit overloaded. It also sticks out a fair bit. The back offers no shirring, so size flexibility is very limited. The back does look really neatly set out though and you can barely see the zip because it is so well hidden. Judging by the stock photos, the skirt looks quite full with plenty of room for petticoat. It flares out well and has a nice full bell shape to it. The skirt is once again kept simple, so the print is displayed excellently. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of beautiful crown themed lace. I am surprised that this crown lace didn't make more of an appearance throughout this series.
Finally, we can see the print close up. This series comes in yellow, pink, sax blue and lavender. These are all quite standard colour choices for a dreamy, sweet AP print. I personally am not a fan of the yellow version though, as I feel the yellow colour doesn't work as well with the gold tones in the print. It seems yellow is the most popular colour though, so everybody else is clearly seeing something I am not! As for the print itself, it is very Disney looking and far too princessy for my own taste. The castles are drawn well, but I don't think there is anything that special about them. My favourite part of the print is the keys. They all have such interesting and intricate designs to them. I could definitely see a magical girl using one of these keys! The background with the dangling chains and stars is also pretty, however I think the chandeliers are a step too far. The chandeliers are really not necessary. I also like the use of stars at the bottom and the way it makes the bottom of the castles look as if they are fading away- like magic! Overall though, I am not overly amazed by this print.
So overall, the dress designs are nice enough and the print is okay, but I can understand why this print hasn't really been a big hit. There is just something about the print which lacks the 'wow' factor that usually sparks off the bloodbath when Angelic Pretty releases stuff. It is a shame, because this series could have been good with just a few small tweaks. I think part of the problem is AP have released this series at the wrong time of year and there are similar prints, such as Castle Mirage, which have recently seen re-releases. I think it is safe to say I wouldn't buy this series. If I did get it, my top choice would be the Round JSK in lavender because I love seeing lavender and gold together.
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