Japonica Market review- positive

So, I have purchased my Christmas treat for myself and it has arrived! This was my first time buying something off Yahoo Japan Auctions and I used the Japonica Market shipping service. I found an auction that I liked the look of, and I felt the Buy It Now price was reasonable enough, so I decided to ask Japonica market to buy the item straight away instead of bidding. I first contacted Japonica on the 14th of November and my package arrived on the 28th, so overall, the process is quite quick.

Communication

I found the Japonica website very easy to read and I fully understood every message that was sent to me. Yoshiyuki (the name of the person I dealt with) spoke very good English. Yoshiyuki kept sending me emails so that I knew what was going on at every stage and I felt very informed. Yoshiyuki was very polite and friendly.

Ease of use

The reason I chose Japonica is because I had read that Japonica were known "to hold your hand" during every step. The website is very informative, especially when paired with the email updates as well. I found all the answers to any questions I had on the website. There are lots of easy to read pictures and the website gives example transactions. In fact, I was able to work out the final cost of my order because the website explains the charges very well. All I had to do was fill in the order form and the rest was easy!

Charges

All charges were clearly explained on the website, so there were no nasty surprises. Considering the service I received, I think Japonica's charges are very reasonable. I was willing to pay for 'peace of mind', knowing that my order was going to be stress-free.

Shipping

As I mentioned above, the entire process from first email to receiving my package took 2 weeks. That included the time it took the auction seller to send it to the Japonica office and then to here in the UK. All things considered, I think 14 days is very quick. I put a note on my order form to mark the package as a gift, so I didn't need to worry about a nasty custom fee.

This photo shows the box that my items arrived in (minus my address, of course!). The box was very sturdy and all the edges were well taped up. There was definitely no danger of my items getting damaged. As you can see, there was also a 'fragile' sticker placed on top of the box!

Inside there was a generous amount of bubble wrap.

So overall, I would give Japonica Market 5/5 and I would highly recommend them. In fact, I have already used the service again! (more on that when the item arrives).

And so, on to the dress, head bow and socks I ordered...

Yes, I got Angelic Pretty's Starry Night Theater! I know a few people will be surprised, because I told people I was saving up for Melty Chocolate! I have wanted SNT for a long time and the price was good. All the items were like new and I think they could have only been worn once or twice. The original owner was obviously very gentle and takes great care of their wardrobe. The dress was just as described, although I did have to look up the dress on Hello Lace for the measurements. I would have loved to get SNT in blue but I know how popular that colour is and that doesn't mean I wont ever get it in the future. The dress is a little short on me (I am 5'4'') but as this is AP, I was expecting this. The items smelt fresh and looked like they had been cleaned. It does need a bit of an iron, but that is to be expected. I would definitely buy from this seller. The seller ID was Nabechan_Yo in case you were wondering.

And so, on to some close-up photos! I know there are loads of SNT photos out there, but I could never get sick to death of SNT photos...

The bodice with card suit and star buttons and the gold trim. The brooch was included, which was in good condition and not fuzzy or damaged.

The print. Marionette Girl and the bunny.

Horse and bear.

The gold trim and AP lace on the bottom hem. I forgot to take more photos, but the dress is fully lined. I have fallen in love with this dress. I can't wait to wear it out somewhere nice!

I got a little surprise when I found a strange lumpy bit on the dress. It turned out that the seller had put the fabric swatch and spare button in the dress pocket! It was wonderful that the seller included this.

The headbow (sorry about the poor photo). The brooch and little star charm are perfect.

Finally, here are the socks. I don't think these had been worn at all. They still had the little clips that AP put on to keep the socks neat and tidy.

The logo on the sock.

I would give the seller 5/5 as well.

And so, this has been a very successful order and I am very ecstatic right now. I am already planning what outfits I can make with these items.

October 2011 Oxfordshire Lolita Meet!

The Oxfordshire Lolitas had their October meet on Saturday! This is the first Ox meet I have been to since the one I hosted in July. It felt odd not writing about the meets over August and September. The dress theme was trick or treat and many of us did gothic. As you probably already know, I FINALLY wore my Fairy Tale skirt and bonnet by Meta. In the end, I had to give up my ideas for a more elaborate outfit. I had to make sure I was able to walk because we were going on a ghost walk in the evening. So the outfit may not be as crazy or exciting as people were hoping. I can assure you that my wilder ideas have all been written down for later use!

So here it is, my not-so daring-but-hopefully-still-pretty outfit-

The rundown-

Bonnet and Skirt- Metamorphose

Bolero and blouse (not shown)- Bodyline

Everything else- offbrand

I decided to wrap ivy around my leg and I was very impressed that I did not ladder my tights at all! There was also some ivy tucked in to my bonnet. I don't really know where I got the idea for the ivy. It just sort of came to me. Originally, I was meant to have flowers and butterflies running down the ivy but I thought it might make my legs look bulky. The ivy and the flowers with my bonnet were actually decorations from my wedding. Considering that this print reminds me of my wedding (I had a pink/purple theme with butterflies and cages) I thought I should include more of my wedding influences. So this outfit holds a lot of special meaning to me. I layered my Meta skirt on top of the black Bodyline skirt I recently got in the sale. I did this because I wanted to show off the crown lace. I thought the best way to do this would be to have a dark background.

This picture shows off the bonnet details the best. Pulling silly faces is compulsory for an Oxfordshire Lolita! Here I am with Jenni, one of the 2 co-hosts (Naomi being the other host). Jenni wore the Oo Jia Vampire Requiem replica. I can honestly say that it was a lot nicer than I was expecting. The fabric feels lovely and soft and only slightly shiny. The print looks just like the original.

We ended up walking around Christ Church and then we went down to the river.

And here is the group shot!

Back row left to right- Jenni (in VR replica), Niamh, Roxy (in Miracle Candy. I forgot to ask if it was real or replica. I have never seen MC in person!), Me in Meta, Raine, Amber, Louise (in Putomayo. Again, I forgot to ask if it was real or replica!) and Beau, who was not in lolita this time, but I was soooooo happy to see her!

Front row- Naomi and Michelle (in Circus Tutu by BABY)

We went on a ghost walk hosted by the amazing Bill Spectre. http://www.ghosttrail.org/ghost-walk-oxford.htm I highly recommend his tour, which starts at Oxford Castle. It was an amazing tour and Bill Spectre was so funny. He kept calling me Bo Peep! In fact, a lot of people called me Bo Peep that day, but I didn't mind. When we were walking to the train station later in the evening, I even got offered free sambuca! Sadly, we had to catch the train! Michelle loved Beau's outfit so much that she went out, bought it and then put it on in the Pizza Hut toilets!

Jenni made us all gift bags. I loved everything I got but my favourite item was this purple butterfly ring. I even put it on during the day!

I think it is fair to say, that this was a brilliant meet. I had a lot of fun, even though my bloomers kept falling down (embarrassing!). I probably wont be attending the November Ox meet but I will make sure I can be there in December. I can tell it will be great!

Meta Fairy Tale Review

Well, I am finally able to fully review my latest Metamorphose order and I have a video to share!

In case you are wondering why my living room is such a mess, it is because we are currently storing some of my mother-in-law's stuff whilst she moves house. Anyway... back on topic, my video is now available to watch on Youtube- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tKa-QaX3cU

And now I am going to give a more detailed review right here-

Ordering Process

I had to use the pre-order form for this series. If you look under Meta's FAQ section, they give you a clear list of the details they need. I am not a massive fan of Meta's website layout but doing the pre-order was very easy. After I sent my request, Meta responded very quickly. I was meant to receive 2 emails and both emails arrived rapidly. So all I had to do was sit back and wait for the items to become available. About 2 months later (which was slightly longer than Meta predicted on their site) the items arrived and I got the email saying I needed to send my payment. Actually paying for the items was slightly harder because instead of Meta invoicing you, they ask you to send them the payment. The instructions are a little strict so you have to make sure you don't make a mistake. Thankfully, I was able to pay without any problems and I am usually hopeless in these situations! Meta ask that you send the payment within 7 days of getting the email to say the items are available, which I think is reasonable.

Shipping

This part was a little annoying. Meta don't give you any options when it comes to shipping service so they sent my parcel using EMS. Meta also don't let you mark down the value or mark the parcel as a gift so if you get hit by customs, it might be steep. The EMS part of the shipping was very quick. However, my parcel was held up for the best part of a week in the customs office here in the UK. During this time, my parcel did not move an inch. It was just sat in the depot awaiting to be presented to the customs officer. My parcel was then handled by Parcelforce because we don't have EMS here. Feeling a little impatient, I got James to phone Parcelforce to see if there were any hold-ups. Phoning Parcelforce has got to be one of the most tedious things to do EVER. They just keep passing you between different people and don't give out any helpful information. The advice they give sounds automated as if they just repeat the same old information again and again. In the end, I did not get charged customs but I was charged VAT and then Parcelforce added their handling fees on top. So I had to pay £44. If I had a customs charge on top of that then that sum would have been a lot higher.

Packaging

Sadly, I can't show the packaging from my parcel because I ripped it up and forgot to photograph it! If you watch the video you will see that my items were wrapped in thin paper-like cardboard. Although my items inside were safe, I felt that the package could have been more secure. There were a couple of small holes in the parcel so maybe Meta need to use a bit more parcel tape next time.

So, now I shall move on to the items I got!

This is the mini skirt in the lavender colour way. I can confirm that the skirt is absolutely gorgeous! The material has a slightly rough texture to it which is exactly what Meta said it would be like in their description. Thankfully, it doesn't feel cheap. The construction is good, as you would expect from one of the big brands. There are no loose threads and the skirt looks well made. The elastic in the waist is very stretchy and is not too stiff. This means it sits very comfortably on my waist. It doesn't dig in to my sides at all and you almost forget the skirt is there. The lining is soft too.

My camera does not do the print justice. It is beautiful. The print details have come out very clear and crisp. It is not the slightest bit blurry. The colours used are a bit darker and deeper than they appear in my pictures.

This is the crown lace around the bottom hem. It is a bit wider than I was expecting but it is very pretty. The edges are not rough. The lace is soft and not itchy at all.

If I had to pick something I dislike about this skirt, it would be the way the print is broken along the seam lines. However, it could have looked a lot worse and I am hopeful it wont look too bad when worn.

Overall, I am very impressed with the skirt. I also got the bonnet-

I used to avoid bonnets so ordering this one (my very first!) was a little risky for me. I have to be honest, I am not fully converted to bonnets yet so I wont be getting another one soon. But I don't regret getting this bonnet. My initial thought when I saw it was that it was huge! The bonnet has some wire in it but I am a little worried that it wont be able to support the shape and may flop about a bit. It doesn't help that it got a little bashed about during the shipping. I am going to have to spend a bit of time tweaking the bonnet to make sure it looks even and has a decent shape. There is a comb, which is very useful and helps to keep the bonnet in place. The bow you can see is detachable so if I am not feeling very brave I can always give the bonnet a miss! Thankfully the lace is not too wide and the bonnet has been kept very plain (apart from the bows). The ribbon ties are very soft and are not fraying at all. The ribbon is very shiny.

This is what the back of the bonnet looks like. It would have been good if the base part of the bonnet was more structured and could even benefit from another layer of wire to keep the shape better. When worn, the 2 bows on the back come down the sides.

I thought it would be cute to let Ahiru try on my bonnet. Ahiru looks cuter than me!

Out of all the pictures I took, I felt this picture best showed how the bonnet looks from the side when worn.

I also got a little surprise with my package. Apparently I qualified for a free gift! So I got given this water bottle as well.

It is made of metal and features the swan logo (this happens to be my favourite lolita logo). It is a lot brighter and pinker than it appears in the picture. It seems a bit of an odd thing for a lolita brand to give away but I am always grateful to receive free stuff. I was saying on Facebook that Meta need to gradually release an entire picnic set with the swan logo on it!

I tried the skirt and bonnet on just to show what they look like worn. I intend to wear some more elaborate outfits using this skirt in the future.

Don't be fooled by this photo. Although this picture suggests that the skirt reaches my knee, it actually sits a little bit above the knee (and I am 5'4'' in case you were wondering). I am wearing just one petticoat here so the skirt is not fully puffed out. It will probably handle more puff well. I was expecting the skirt to be a little short because it is listed on the site as a mini skirt. Compared to other skirts available, this skirt is a couple of centimetres shorter. I was wondering if I needed to wear an underskirt underneath but I think I can get away without one. I will also wear my hair bigger to help make the bonnet appear smaller. I only quickly tried the bonnet on so my hair is flat here and this makes the bonnet look very big compared to my head! It actually looks bigger in person.

So overall I am very happy with my new items. I can tell already that this skirt is going to be a favourite of mine. I already have a few different outfit ideas planned so do keep an eye out in the future!

Expanding my horizons and trying new things

I am very excited right now! I just pre-ordered Meta's Fairy Tale series and have already had the 2nd confirmation email to say my pre-order has been completed! So all I need to do is wait for it to come in stock and pay. I fell in love with the print as soon as I saw it.

But by placing this pre-order I am also expanding my horizons.

This will be my very first bonnet. I have got to admit, I have been a little scared to try bonnets in the past. I was worried they would look too age-play on me (especially OTT sweet styles). When I saw the Fairy Tale series for the first time I was hoping there would be a head bow but I was confronted by a bonnet and a rectangle headdress. Although rectangle headdresses have been out of fashion for a while, I think I am more confident wearing these than bonnets. However, for some reason I was really attracted to the Fairy Tale bonnet. The pattern on the Fairy Tale bonnet is not too OTT. The size is fairly big but it is by no means the biggest lolita bonnet I have seen.

So I found myself adding the bonnet to the cart. I am totally blaming Nicola from the Oxfordshire Lolitas! She makes her own bonnets and looks so wonderful in them. I am curious to see how I will look with a bonnet. I don't regret making my choice at all but it is very unlike me to move away from my comfort zone.

I also ordered the fully shirred skirt. I have been really busy recently so I did not have enough money for a dress this time. I find skirts easier to wear anyway. There is nothing particularly strange about this but... I have ordered both the bonnet and skirt in lavender. These will be my very first lavender items in my lolita wardrobe! I have wanted to add lavender items to my wardrobe for a very long time. I feel it will flatter my pale skin very well without making me look washed out. Plus, lavender goes very well with pink. I will probably wear this with my new pink blouse and possibly my pink shoes too if they match well enough.

I decided against ordering the matching socks. I figured that the socks were not as vital anyway. I noticed after I placed the order that Meta have released this necklace which fits the Fairy Tale print very well-

It comes in gold, silver, antique gold and antique silver. The antique ones have a rose and the other 2 have a bird.

I definitely like the antique ones the most. I love the whole antique look when it comes to necklaces. I also think the rose and bird cage look nicer on the 2 antique coloured necklaces.

I have high hopes for this series. The print reminds me of my wedding day and I am hoping this arrives before our 2nd anniversary on August the 6th.

I have had a few ideas on how to co-ordinate this already. I have an idea for a straight-forward co-ordinate. I am also planning something a little more creative and different. I wont go in to too many details right now but I am planning an OTT classic co-ordinate. It could go horribly wrong and I may get slated for it but I have been thinking about OTT classic for a while. Can OTT work outside of sweet lolita? Is OTT classic going too far? I might just make it a OTT sweet outfit instead. That is the beauty of this print- I firmly believe this print will work well with both sweet and classic.

I intend to wear this skirt a lot and will work hard to do different co-ordinates with it. Wearing a bonnet and choosing lavender is already new ground for me, but I want to experiment even more. Let's hope I don't take the experimenting too far!

Outfit post- Meta ducky love

I have been very ill recently so I felt like wearing my favourite lolita skirt.

I adore March of the Ducks and nothing anybody says will change my mind! It worked as a great pick-me-up. I am considering making a new banner soon because my current one leaves a lot to be desired. I thought about using this picture but my poor duck is being squeezed to death! Poor Ahiru-chan... I feel that Ahiru-chan is an essential part of the banner so regardless of whatever I do, Ahiru will be featured somewhere.

I felt like coming back inside so I decided to quickly pop on Old Emblem too. I didn't intend to make this a Meta love post but I prefer Meta to Angelic Pretty.

As I have said many times, I admire Meta's more experimental approach even though they sometimes make mistakes. Although I own stuff from other brands and adore my AP Wonder Cookie dress, I always come back to Meta. I would like to get hold of Meta's Nostalgic Chess/Chess Party soon so I can do a 'proper' review.

Sorry if today's post seems a little random. I will be giving a 'review' of Meta's Fruit Soda Punch soon but it has been a hectic week!