Taobao Haul- May 2016 (picture heavy)

It is time for another Taobao haul! This is actually the first of 2 orders I have placed recently. The 2nd order is currently in the post, so you can expect that haul review soon. 

Despite hinting that I was going back to Taobao Spree, I actually ended up using Taobao Ring again. I figured I wasn't getting anything that fragile and it didn't seem like there was anything that could go drastically wrong, so I decided to risk it. I still feel that Ring need to work on their packaging. I received my order in a small box, which was smaller than a shoe box. Considering how much was stuffed in that box, it did feel a bit too small. It sort of confirmed my fears about Ring and when I opened the parcel up, I came very close to actually damaging my blouse. Despite being as careful as possible, I sliced though a bit of the inside packaging when I was opening the box up. This is not a good sign at all and I was really unimpressed.

First up are these Adios Eden wrist cuffs. Size-wise, they are quite big, but not quite as big as the wrist cuffs from Bodyline. For their size, the cuffs do have a good shape. The lace is of a good quality and it feels soft. The ribbon bows are a cute shape and the ribbon only has a slight shine to it.

The elastic is very gathered, but the cuffs feel very comfortable on. I do wonder how big the cuffs will stretch to. They certainly don't feel tight on my wrists at all, but I have very small wrists. For me, these cuffs are perfect and I am really happy with them.

I also ordered some wrist cuffs from Red Maria. I have actually ordered these cuffs previously as part of a giveaway I held, but since then Red Maria has slightly changed the design on the cuffs, now using white material for the base part of the cuffs. I feel it is important to mention that the price is for 1 cuff, so if you want a pair, you must order 2. The cuffs are very small in size, but I actually quite like that. It is a very different look to the Adios Eden cuffs! My main complaint is that I ordered the "vanilla" colour and I was expecting a nice, cream sort of colour. Instead I got a grey colour, which is the top pair in the above photo. They do not match a single thing in my wardrobe and I am so glad they were really cheap. I am probably going to sell this pair on. The other 2 pairs were exactly what I was expecting though.

The cuffs felt very comfortable on. They have a little bit of stretch, but not a great deal. The ribbon used for the bows only has a slight sheen to it. I like that the ends of the ribbon have been properly sealed. The pearl chains are nice, although I think the ends could have been hidden better.

Next up are these butterfly brooches which I got from here. These initially gave me a bit of a panic, as Taobao Ring warned me these brooches were fragile. Thankfully, they did arrive in one piece, although I didn't get the colours I wanted. The Taobao store has this very odd grid system, which makes it very difficult to work out what colour you are getting. It is a shame, because there are some really cute brooches in this store and I really want to recommend them, but you have to be so careful when ordering. And even after I spent ages carefully selecting the colours, TBR informed me that they got one of the colours wrong anyway! TBR showed me a photo of the wrong colour they sent me and as it was similar to what I had wanted, I agreed to accept it. I was annoyed though. The brooches I got were very nice. I love the retro look. The colours are gorgeous and the design is well executed.

This is the style of the back of the brooch. I was kind of hoping it would be a pin style back, but they are stud backs. I had a bit of trouble un-doing it, until I realised you are meant to squeeze the 2 little bits together to release it!

They are not that big in size. I was expecting them to be around this sort of size though. Picture is to give a rough idea of how big they are. This one is roughly 5cm. I am really pleased with the brooches I got, but to be honest, I found the store a bit of a hassle. So I guess my advice is to proceed with caution.

Next up are these butterfly clips which may seem familiar to my long-term readers, as I have previously brought some navy blue coloured ones from the same store.

The design on the butterflies is crisp and I like that I am able to spread the wings or leave them closed. The colours are pretty vibrant too. I don't think this photo really does them justice.

They are simply stuck on to the clips with a bit of glue. Thankfully no glue is visible. I really like these clips, especially at such a cheap price. I recommend getting lots to make it more worthwhile.

I also got these socks from Baby Piggy. Sadly, they are another disappointment. I got the ones on the right thinking they were going to be gold and ivory, but as you can probably see in the picture above, they are pink and gold. And the gold colour is also a bit of a stretch, as they look a bit brown in person. I am really annoyed, as the photos on the listing do not match the colour of the actual product. The navy and white ones are a little bit better, but the navy could do with being a darker shade.

You can also see little loose threads and loops along the edges of the diamonds. Sadly, this is not just a one-off and I found almost all of the sock was like this. It is not too noticeable when worn, but it is still frustrating.

Size-wise, the socks were good. They were very stretchy and they reached mid-thigh on me (I am 5'4'' for reference). The socks were also a reasonably good thickness.

And sadly, here is another photo showing how messy the socks are. You can see all this navy thread poking out underneath the white. I think it is safe to say that I will not be ordering from Baby Piggy ever again.

Finally, I got a blouse from HMHM. My first impression was not good. As I pulled it out the plastic packaging, I realised just how thin the material was. It has a really cheap look to it. On a more postive note, the materials are very soft. The material also wrinkles very easily, which is worrying given how flimsy the fabric feels.

I really hate the lace on the blouse too. The actual quality of the lace is alright, but there is something about the way it looks which doesn't seem right. I also found the collar shape a bit awkward and the ties were difficult to tie nicely.

The gold trim is nice though. I do like the crown design on the buttons but annoyingly, they don't all face the same direction. It feels like little care was taken with the buttons.

The back has these little ties to help make the blouse smaller. Generally, the size and fit of the blouse was okay. My only complaint is the sleeves were too long.

Hopefully this will give some idea of how thin the fabric is. I wasn't expecting a completely opaque blouse, but I was expecting it to at least be a bit thicker than this.

The stitching is quite neat though and generally quite tidy.

I am a bit puff off by the cuffs as well. I guess I was expecting something a bit better fitting. And the lace completely swamps my hand. It is hard to put in to words, but it just doesn't look quite right. Originally I was intending to get this blouse in black as well, and I am so glad I held off. I went with HMHM because they are a well-known Taobao store and some people seemed quite happy with their quality. This blouse does not have me convinced. I had been eyeing up a nice looking chiffon bolero from HMHM, but now I am not sure that I want to risk it.

So this order has been a bit of a mixed experience. The blouse and the socks have been a real disappointment. I guess the smaller accessories were a bit more positive though. But as I mentioned, I did have troubles with ordering the wooden butterfly brooches and I am still trying to work out how on earth Red Maria thought that 'vanilla' was somehow a mushroom grey sort of colour. This has probably been one of my most disappointing Taobao orders. I am just really glad I didn't order more from HMHM for the moment. Oh well, here is hoping I have a bit more luck with the 2nd Taobao order.

A Small Taobao Order From December- Picture Heavy

Back in December last year, I managed to fit in a small Taobao order before Christmas. As I didn't leave enough time to review it then, I shall be reviewing it now instead! I used Taobao Ring again and to be honest, I think I will be going back to using Taobao Spree.

The reason why I want to switch back is that my parcel was over-stuffed once again. I know the hat was easy to reshape, but Taobao Spree have never squished any of my items in a too-small box. When I got the parcel it was literally bulging and I was scared to open it, in case I accidentally cut in to any of my items!

I got myself another Haruhi Clover bowler hat. I wont review it again, as I think you all know by now that I really like them, but I thought I would share a photo anyway.

I also got this beret from Haruhi Clover. I am on a bit of a burgandy binge at the moment! I was having issues with the lighting for the photos in this post, but the colour of this beret is really nice in person. 

The bow clip is detachable, so you can move it about. There were a few little strings of glue visible on the back on the bow but the bow was otherwise well done. 

The ribbon used for the bow has a pretty design. It is a little bit shiny, but not too bad. The shape of the bow is alright. It could be better, but it could have been a lot worse too.

And here is a worn photo (I was too lazy to put some make up on!). My initial impressions are that the beret itself was comfortable to wear. My only slight criticism is that I think the pearls look a bit bulky. Perhaps smaller pearls could have been used here? I do have this slight concern that if I end up walking too fast the pearls are going to be swinging and then whacking me on the forehead, but at least the bow can be re-positioned.

I also got these socks from here because anybody who knows me well will tell you I love anything with ducks on it! I ordered 3 designs and I found that it was quite easy to select the designs I was looking for. For example, the duck with the question mark above its head was labelled "?" and as none of the other designs had a question mark, I knew I was selecting the correct design. I was really pleased to see that these socks are meant to fit up to 25cm, as usually they go up to about a 24. I usually go for a size 25 when I am ordering shoes, so I am happy that this time I wont have to stretch the socks too much. The colours of the socks were every bit as vibrant as I was hoping. The design on the socks is quite clear with neat lines.

I did notice one pair of socks had a slight bit of dirt on them (which you can barely see, so I added some arrows) but I usually wash items like socks before I wear them anyway. It looks to me that it was some sort of mark that got on the socks in the factory or warehouse, rather than somebody wearing the socks. The mark came out really easily when I washed them.

I was really pleased with how the socks looked when worn. You can maybe see a tiny bit of white on the toes where the fabric has stretched, but apart from that they are perfect. They fit my feet quite well and feel lovely and soft.

Next up is these feather clips from here. I was really pleased to see that the Taobao store made the listing super clear, so I knew I was definitely getting a pair of clips. I've had issues with ordering stuff like wrist cuffs from Taobao in the past, where I have only received one cuff, so it is good to know exactly what I was ordering with these clips. I was relieved that the Taobao store sent the clips to Taobao Ring in a box, given my experiences with Taobao Ring and their lax attitude to careful packaging. It also means I have a box to store the clips in.

The feathers are generally quite nicely shaped, although inevitably they are a tiny bit messy in places. I found I was able to tidy them up a little, just by twisting the feathers back in to shape.

The brooch charm at the bottom of the clips is really pretty. I love the gold frame and the pearls arrived in perfect condition with no scratches on them.

The clips on the back are at an angle, which makes it a little bit easier to place them on my head. I did find that I had a bit of trouble getting the clips off my head though, as it was hard to get a decent grip on the clip without disturbing the feathers. 

And here is a rough idea of what they look like when worn. I think the sizing looks pretty good. They are quite a bold hair accessory and make a big impression with little effort.

And finally, I ordered this necklace. It definitely looks a lot better in person than it does in my photos. The first thing I noticed though, was that the necklace has a bit of a smell to it. It smells a lot like Vicks Vaporub! It sort of makes me wonder how they made the necklace... The chain is a good length and has a simple clasp to do it up.

The necklace has such a beautiful design to it. I don't feel my pictures capture the colours and the shimmer very well. I love all the little charms and the way the crystals have been placed.

The backing has a lovely design to it too. Despite the slight smell, I am really pleased with how the necklace turned out.

So this was overall quite a pleasant Taobao order and I am really pleased with every single item I ordered. I will definitely be keeping an eye on the shop I ordered the feather clips from in the future, as I am excited to see what other sort of accessories they come up with in the future. I have decided though, that I will probably be trying Taobao Spree again. After a few orders, I am still not convinced I like Taobao Ring's service, especially with their dodgy packing. It is a shame, because Taobao Ring's ordering process is a lot easier. But I am willing to go back to Spree if I have the peace of mind that my items will arrive packaged better.

Taobao Haul November 2015- Picture Heavy

It's time for another Taobao haul review! I ordered through Taobao Ring again. I am still not 100% convinced I like them as much as Taobao Spree, but this time I was a bit happier with Ring's service. Although perhaps that is because I didn't order anything too fragile this time. I have had to leave a few bits out of this review, because they are Christmas presents. I am hopeful that their recipients are going to like them.

Last time I had a big issue with the packaging by Taobao Ring where things were packed in to a box that was far too small for my order and as a result, 2 hats got a bit squashed. The rim of my strawberry hat is still a bit warped now, even though I have been trying to mold it back in to shape. Anyway, I had a bit of a similar experience with this new order. Everything was safe inside but I could tell Taobao Ring had over-stuffed the box again. I could see where the box was bulging outwards, trying to keep its contents in. Luckily Taobao Ring used a lot of tape. I was also a bit surprised to find a random nappy bag inside my box, which was a bit bizarre! I thought maybe it was scented and Taobao Ring were trying to keep my order nicely scented or something, but it was just a plain bog-standard nappy bag. So that was a little strange. I suppose I should be grateful it hadn't been used!

First up is this necklace which I got from here. The constellation is meant to be my star sign Cancer. I did look up the constellation and I can confirm I did get the correct star sign. The necklace arrived in perfect condition with no scratches. The design is quite clear. The only thing that surprised me was that the necklace does not have a clasp to do it up. I would expect this if the necklace chain was super long, but I wouldn't say this necklace had that long a chain. I am able to put the necklace on, which is the main thing. I guess I will just need to remember to put this on before any wigs or bulky hair accessories.

I thought I would show a side view of the necklace. I think the charm is quite a good size.

Next up is this clip that I got from KiraKira. I have tried to order this clip previously, but they said it was out of stock, even though they hadn't removed it from their store or done the usual thing of upping the price to a really high number. Thankfully, this time they did indeed have the clip. I ordered the dark blue, which for some reason is called purple on the listing. The bow is nicely shaped and the charm is really cute. I like the overall size of the clip as well.

The back has a hair clip, but not a badge clip. I think it is a shame, because I would have quite liked the option to wear this as a brooch as well. Perhaps KiraKira didn't feel there was enough room on the back for a 2-way clip, which I guess I can understand. I absolutely love the ribbon chosen for the clip. They could have used just bog-standard plain ribbon, but they have gone for ribbon which has an interesting pattern to it.

I especially love the golden shimmery effect on some of the ribbon. That was an unexpected surprise! A bit of an effort has been made to seal the ends of the ribbons too.

Here are the wrist cuffs I ordered from Ciciwork/SweetDreamer/CutieCreator/WhateverTheyAreCalledThisWeek. My first impression was "these cuffs are huge!" and I actually had to go get a pair of Bodyline wrist cuffs (which are also known for being massive) and compare sizes. These cuffs completely dwarfed the Bodyline ones, which should give you some idea of just how big they are. I am considering removing the chiffon layer. 

I absolutely love the charms. The ribbon and lace is of a decent quality too. However, I do feel it is a bit odd using rose patterned ribbon with a starry themed pair of cuffs. The materials also felt soft and felt pleasant to wear.

See what I mean about them being massive? The elastic has a good amount of stretch for wrist cuffs. I was a bit disappointed by the overall shape of the cuffs when worn. Wrist cuffs usually tend to flare out more and have a more rounded shape. These cuffs were quite tube-like with hardly any flare to them at all. 

Here is a close up of the lace. I think the lace could have been narrower too, but I do feel the cuffs will look a lot better without the added bulk of the chiffon layer. The stitching on the chiffon was generally quite neat, but it did look a bit untidy in a few spots.

Next up is this ducky t-shirt I got from here. Anybody who knows me well will tell you that I love ducks. I didn't have the easiest of times trying to find the right size. The size chart was an image, so Google Translate didn't work. I looked up how to read the size chart and then prayed I got the right size. Thankfully, I did get the right size. 

The colour is a lovely, vibrant yellow in person. The details of the duck face are crisp too. I think the duck face needs to be a bit smaller though and more towards the centre.

And here it is worn. I usually prefer my t-shirts a bit more figure hugging and fitted but I am just glad I didn't accidentally order a massive tent of a t-shirt. I was quite happy with the thickness of the t-shirt until I realised you can actually see my underwear slightly (sorry for pointing that out!). This photo was taken without a flash, so I am feeling a bit paranoid about how bad it will show up with flash! Photography issues aside, it is a decent enough t-shirt. I will be very careful with my choice of underwear when I wear it though.

I got this turtleneck from a store I have ordered jumpers from before, so I already had a rough idea of what to expect quality-wise. This new turtleneck is actually thicker than the jumpers I ordered previously. So hopefully I will be able to wear it in colder weather compared to the other jumpers.

The chest details were neat and the lace was of a reasonable quality. The cuffs and bottom of the jumper are a bit basic in design, but this jumper is for my everyday wardrobe anyway, so this doesn't bother me. When I tried it on I found the material a bit clingy. Although the material is stretchy, I wouldn't say this was a very plus-sized friendly jumper. The arms were a great length and reached my wrists with ease. It was very comfortable. I will definitely consider ordering some more for my everyday wardrobe in the future.

Next up is this bolero. The colour is a bit darker than I was expecting but I actually quite like it. The materials could have been a little bit softer but to be fair, this is actually meant to be a jacket rather than a bolero. I found the sizing chart reasonably easy to work out because it wasn't a picture. This meant Google Translate could translate the sizes. I was really pleased by the sizing and I found my bolero fitted quite well. The arms were a little bit long for me though.

The ruffles are done so neatly. They are so well gathered and the shape is really pretty. 

The only thing I am not too happy about is the ribbon used to tie the bolero. It is quite cheap ribbon and it is very basic looking. I also found out the edges of the ribbon hadn't been sealed, although I am capable of fixing this myself.

The stitching was so neat and tidy. I turned the whole bolero inside out and I couldn't find any messy bits at all. I was also surprised to see the bolero is lined. The lining is soft and it feels so pleasant when worn.

The arms are very long in length. As a result, I find that when I bend my arms the material wrinkles up quite a lot. 

The ruffles sit really nicely when worn. I think here you can see how cheap the ribbon looks and I am tempted to replace it. I feel the ribbon colour could have matched better if it was a bit darker too. 

And finally, here is my favourite item from this order. I got this blouse from here. Your eyes are not deceiving you- it really is that cheap. When I placed the order it worked out at about £9, but can a cheap £9 blouse from Taobao really be that decent? Yes, it can! I can tell that some of the materials are a bit cheaper. The chiffon is definitely not as soft as some of my brand chiffon blouses. However, it still feels nice to touch. I found the sizing to be really good and my blouse fits me really well.

The lace looks pretty good for a £9 blouse. It is a decent quality and has a nice design. The pearl buttons on the front are pretty too. The button holes could have been a little bit bigger though. I had a little bit of trouble doing some of the buttons up.

The back has a ribbon corset to help tighten it up. The ribbon is very cheap and thin. When I put the blouse on and pulled the ribbon though, it held really well. 

The stitching was really good. I searched the whole blouse and this was the only little messy bit I could find. It didn't take long for the blouse to reach Taobao Ring, so I was wondering how much care had been taken in making it. I was really pleased when I got the blouse.

And here is how it looks worn. The bodice is a little long in length, but I don't see this as an issue. The arms were a decent length and I think they look really good. This blouse has been a real revelation and I cannot recommend this blouse enough if you are on a budget, or even if you are not on a tight budget. I will be keeping an eye on this Taobao store in the future!

This has generally been quite a positive order. I think the only disappointment has been the SweetDreamer wrist cuffs. Everything else was definitely good value for money. I still can't get over how good the blouse is. The blouse is definitely in my top 5 items I have ever ordered from Taobao. Do go and check them out! Now all I need to do is wait and see how well the Christmas presents go down. Fingers crossed!