A LUSH Ode to the Macaron

Yes, today I am posting about macaron related stuff again! My obsession has gotten so bad that this blog will now have a macaron tag!

Lush has always been one of my favourite shops. They sell bath products, but these are not your typical bath products. They come up with fun and exciting fragrances which make bath time very fun!

So I was very delighted to see that Lush have decided to make 3 products dedicated to macarons. Lush were inspired by Laduree, who are famous for their lovely macarons (and next month when I go to London, I will finally get to try some of their macarons for myself). So Lush came up with 3 new bubble bars called... Bubbleroons! I don't have the heart to tell Lush that they have one 'O' too many and it should technically be Bubbleron...

First up is the green bubbleroon. As you can see, these products are not quite a macaron shape but it does have the 2 shells. I imagine it would be very hard to sculpt bubble bars in to a flatter and rounder shape. This one apparently smells like grass.

This one, called the Rose Jam bubbleroon, is the one I am most excited about trying. I have recently become obsessed with rose scented stuff (I even made up some rose flavoured jelly on Tuesday, which tasted amazing). This bubbleroon has a rose scent mixed with the scent of jam. It sounds like my fantasy scent!

Finally, this is the Yuzu and Cocoa one. Yuzu is a Japanese mandarin. I imagine this one has a very lovely fruity fragrance to it.

I am very excited to try these new products. They might even make a nice gift for somebody!

In other news, Metamorphose is having a sock sale for this weekend only. I was tempted, but I can't risk getting a ridiculous customs fee for a few pairs of socks! I hate the UK customs so much! I noticed the Fairy Tale rose socks were discounted and so were a couple of other recent designs. If you would like to get some cheap socks, do go and have a look. http://www.metamorphose.gr.jp/onlineshop_eng/socks.php?ssid= Remember, this sale is just for this weekend so if you are reading this post after Sunday I am sorry to say you missed out!

Clockwork Tea Party by BABY

It is time to discuss another brand print! Today I will be looking at Clockwork Tea Party by BABY. This series has 2 dresses, a skirt, a shirt, a bonnet, a headbow, socks and several bits of jewellery.

This is the pearl JSK. The bodice looks like it will fit nicely. I absolutely love the neckline on this dress. Baby have paid attention to the shaping of the lace along the sleeves, which then blends in with the lace on the edge of the bow which is on the front. The bow on the front is huge and the dress description suggests it is not removable. However, I do think the bow looks pretty. The bow material has a check pattern, which matches the check part of the print. The bow is also a pretty shape and looks well structured compared to some bows on other recent Baby releases, which have looked a bit floppy. The bow also has a string of detachable pearls which look pretty. There is a thin line of the check print ribbon running along the waist line. Whilst I don't dislike this, I think it might have been better without this detail. The straps are a good width and the lace softens the inner edge nicely. The back has some shirring which is concealed well with a ribbon corset. The skirt shape is pretty. Personally, I would have liked it if the shape was a little rounder. It looks like the skirt will flare outwards very well so will probably hold a decent petticoat. The skirt has been kept fairly plain, but the print is quite busy so it looks better with simpler details. The bottom hem is finished with a ruffle, topped with pretty lace.

This is the Lumiere JSK. The bodice on this dress looks very well fitted and figure hugging. I think the design on this bodice is very interesting. The bodice has layering. The top layer has a scalloped edge. I really like this use of scalloping because it is a bit different. The edges of the scalloping has ruffles and rose lace. It is all very heavily detailed but somehow, it works! Hidden underneath the scallop layer, the main part of the bodice has a ribbon corset lined with wide lace. The lace is pretty but maybe thinner lace would have worked better here. There is another ruffle along the neckline. These ruffles have very small gold stitches running along the edges. The straps are a bit on the thin side but is finished with pretty lace. The back has shirring covered by a ribbon corset. The skirt is a really pretty shape and the skirt flares outwards quite a bit. The skirt on this dress has also been kept plain, which again, I feel works best with this print. The bottom hem is finished with pretty lace.

This is one of the print close-ups. I love the hints of gold. The colours are very deep and rich. I also really like the use of check, which reminds me of a chess board. The only thing I am unsure about is the teddy bear. There are 5 colours available which are ivory (which confusingly, is actually light pink. See the picture of the 1st JSK above), Strawberry Tea (which is a raspberry pink shade), rose (deep red), blue and black. Although I like all the shades, I think the deep rose red is especially beautiful.

This is my pick of the jewellery. It is a cage necklace but if you look inside, you will see one of the cakes with a butterfly perched on top, just like in the print. It comes in gold and antique silver but I think the gold would work best with the gold in the print.

Overall, I think this is a very beautiful series. I think both JSK designs are good but I prefer the Lumiere JSK. Would I buy from this series? Definitely! I think either dress would be a good addition to a lolita wardrobe and the matching jewellery is beautiful. I am hoping that this series is a bit hit.

The Frustrated Artist

I used to really love art. I wouldn't say I was any good, but it felt like such a release. But I was disheartened many years ago when I was still in school. I was studying for my Art GCSE and I was doing a project of Japan. I came up with this idea of doing a massive origami display. I made a huge origami phoenix and the phoenix would be followed by loads of smaller birds. It was going to go throughout the ENTIRE building, taking up loads of the ceiling space. But then my art teacher made me move my display, so the area got a lot smaller. Then, my display was taken down without warning after I had spent hours just on the first part of the display. I screamed at my art teacher "But you told me to move it here!" and all he did was shrug his shoulders. To add insult to injury, my phoenix was carelessly tossed aside and got damaged.

Afterwards I felt really depressed. I had put in all that work for nothing. And I felt anger, because I had, what I thought, a great idea but I was unable to finish my project up to my standards.

Sometimes I feel this way about lolita. I come up with this big (and sometimes crazy) idea but when it comes to actually carrying out the idea, I simply can't do it the way I want to. Maybe I am being too harsh on myself but sometimes deep down, I KNOW I could have done it better.

I think the problem is that I have a really vivid imagination and my ideas don't sometimes translate well in to reality.

I keep a secret book filled with all my ideas for lolita outfits (even my husband James doesn't see it). That scrapbook of ideas is my outlet for the artist inside me. And after I have finished an outfit idea, I then start to think about how I can put my plan in to action. I read fashion magazines, save images I find on the internet and look at blogs to see if anybody has done anything similar. If you ever see me slating my outfit, it is probably because secretly, I have made a page for the outfit in my scrapbook.

The outfits I plan may look interesting but they would be difficult to wear. That rules out wearing these outfits to a lot of meets. I have to think about transport and how well I can relax. I guess doing a special photo shoot could be an option. It may cost a bit of money but maybe I would be happier with the results. There is one particular outfit I have planned for my Meta Fairy Tale skirt which would definitely not be suitable for wearing outside the house, partly because sitting down would be impossible.

I also wonder if maybe I am too strict with myself. I feel sorry for my husband because he has to watch me go in to many clothes shops looking for a specific item and leaving empty handed. I reject clothes for the most stupid of reasons. It could be something like the way the sleeves on a blouse look, a specific detail or I could reject something for being slightly the wrong shade of a certain colour. It occurred to me that I could have settled on some of those items I discarded before. I need to try clothes on in the changing rooms more because clothes can look so different worn. Or I could try and alter the clothes myself. I could teach myself to sew properly. Yes, it would take time but eventually, I would be able to do alterations. Or I could try adding something on. A plain item could look different if I just add clips or bows or wear the item in a new way.

I could work harder to source rarer items and different materials. One of my biggest inspirations is etsy.com because of the variety you get on there. Chances are, that the items I want are out there. If I learn to search for stuff better, then who knows how far I can go?

But despite all this, I still hold on to my hopes and dreams. My head may be stuck in the clouds but I do believe that having a dream is not a bad thing. Just because an outfit doesn't live up to my idea, it does not automatically mean that the outfit I am wearing is bad.

And with a little more time and patience, I feel I could become a much better lolita.

Valentine Thank You

I got a Lolita Valentine today! Thank you to whoever made number 8!

http://loli-valentines.livejournal.com/104703.html?view=3035903

AP's Petite Patisserie

I thought I would discuss the latest AP print today. It is called Petite Patisserie and includes 3 dresses, a short skirt, socks, a headbow and a top.

This is the tiered JSK. From the front the bodice looks like it will fit nicely but I did notice that from the side, there was a bulge of material on the front. So it didn't look too flattering. Hopefully this dress wont create "boob loaf". The bodice part is relatively plain. The main detail is the ruffle around the neck. I thought the ruffle looked very pretty. It is a lovely shape. The neckline is lined with satin and there is a small satin bow along the neckline. Considering what the print looks like, simplicity is probably a good idea. The straps are slightly thin but look strong enough. The back part of the bodice does not look as nice. The satin from the neckline carries on and runs vertically on each side of a very exposed shirring panel. It looks a little untidy. The skirt part has a good shape to it. It appears that it can flare outwards a lot, so it will probably hold a lot of petticoat underneath. The skirt part is very gathered but because of the style of print, the print is not too obscured. The skirt is quite plain. As the name suggests, this skirt does have a tier. I felt that the tier looked a little flat and it breaks up the print so the print doesn't line up that well. The bottom hem is finished with some pretty lace.

This is the High Waist JSK. the bodice on this dress looks like it will fit well. There is a large waist bow which has good shape to it and looks firm. The good thing is that the waist bow blends in nicely with the print. The waist also has a thin line of satin with cotton lines over it to give it a stripy appearance. It looks interesting and continues the stripe theme in the print. The same technique is used on the neckline, which is then finished off with a thin satin bow. The neckline also has cute polka dot lace, which also appears along the sleeves. The straps are too thin for my personal taste but continue the stripe pattern well. The back of the bodice is taken up by a large panel of shirring. The shirring on this dress is also exposed and maybe could have been concealed better. The skirt part flares out well. The skirt shape looks good. My main problem is the way the print looks on this skirt. The lines on the other JSK flare outwards but on this JSK they appear to start going outwards and then the lines on the print go inwards again. It creates the illusion that the wearer is a little bulky and has a stomach bulge. The print doesn't flow as nicely. The bottom hem is finished off with pretty lace. Overall, the skirt part is not as flattering. Usually, vertical stripes are meant to be slimming!

And here is the OP. I have got to be honest... I think it looks like a sack. Here is a worn photo just to demonstrate how it looks worn.

I can see this OP being very difficult to wear. I am undecided about whether a belt would help or not. It is hard to say what sort of body type would look best in this dress. It probably wont suit larger girls but petite girls may look swamped under all that material. I will be very interested to see how lolitas choose to wear this.

Aside from the shape, the collar is very cute and I like the way the lace has been used. I also like the cuffs. At the moment, it is very hard to judge this OP. I think I need to see some more worn pictures!

Here is the print. I absolutely adore it. I love the pink strawberry cake. Some people say AP do too many food prints but you have to admit, they are good at making food prints! The vertical lines and ribbons do remind me of a French patisserie. I like all 4 colours too. I think the brown or mint will look the nicest.

My favourite item from the series is the top. The top is simple, but it does include my favourite cake from the print! I think this would be a good item to have in a sweet lolita wardrobe and it is also casual enough to wear outside of lolita. It would suit a variety of different prints.

I am also a fan of the socks. They are so cute!

I would say this series is bold and interesting. AP are experimenting with different dress shapes. The dresses are also not as OTT as they used to be. If I were to choose a dress to buy from this series, I would pick the tiered JSK. I would definitely buy the top and socks! Overall, I would say the series was a bit 'hit and miss'. I wouldn't dismiss this series' potential but it appears weaker than other recent AP releases.

Reading Lolita Meet!

It feels like my last lolita meet was ages ago now (I have missed 2 Oxford meets in a row) so it felt good to be able to attend a meet in Reading. It was a lovely change to go somewhere different. We all brought some food along so we could have a picnic in the Forbury Gardens. I have never been to these gardens before so I had no idea how beautiful the gardens were. We managed to set up the picnic underneath a bandstand so we avoided the worst of the rain. And then it started raining sideways so we did get a little damp!

Monika brought macarons and cupcakes from Waitrose! Recently, I was told that Waitrose (a UK supermarket) were selling macarons but when I got my husband to look in our local branch we couldn't find them! So well done to Mo for tracking some down. I would like to make a public plea to all my UK readers- please go to Waitrose and buy macarons and if you can't find them, ask them to get them in! If they become popular enough, Waitrose might get the hint and put more in their stores. Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to buy macarons so easily?

They come in a pink box with black swirls on it and have Maison Blanc written on the box. I had a raspberry one which tasted yummy. I was expecting pre-packaged macarons to not taste that good but I was pleasantly surprised. I think fresh will always be best but I would highly recommend these Waitrose ones. All this macaron talk in making me hungry!

This is the Waitrose cupcake I had. It tasted like a small piece of strawberry heaven....

Here is a group shot of us! From left to right we have Raine in Angelic Pretty, Michelle in Angelic Pretty, Shalisa (the lovely host!) in Angelic pretty, Kyra in Alice and the Pirates, Helen in BABY and me in Bodyline.

Mo left before we took the group shots but I hope she doesn't mind me putting up this solo photo! She is wearing Kids Yoyo. This dress is beautiful and Mo was so well co-ordinated!

I finally got to wear my Bodyline cosmetic print dress that James kindly got me for my birthday. I changed my mind about my outfit several times because I desperately want to wear Meta's Fairy Tale to a meet but in the end, I wanted something which I knew would be easy to wear to a picnic (except for my shoes!). The dress and bolero are Bodyline and I was using the matching bag (not in the photo). The rest is off-brand.

Michelle said I looked cute in this photo! It shows off my favourite ring nicely. I always seem to wear that peach coloured cake ring.

Afterwards Michelle, Kyra, Helen, my husband James and I went to the Purple Turtle. I have wanted to go to the Purple Turtle for many years and I was not disappointed!

It was great to get the chance to meet Shalisa properly. I think there should be another Reading meet sometime. It was also lovely to meet Mo, Kyra and Helen for the first time. I have been saying for over a year that I would start attending Tea Party Club and London lolita meets and then I never got around to it! I have only ever spoken to a few of the London lolitas online until Saturday. Well if the rest of you are as lovely as the people I have met, then I now know that the London lolitas are amazing people and I am determined to make more of an effort in the next year. I look forward to meeting you all! Hopefully it will be soon.

Items of Desire- the "inbetween" items

I would consider myself to be a lolita who has to watch their budget. The trouble is, I have been drawn in by both sweet and classic lolita which occasionally means there is a bit of conflict with my lolita purchases. Should my next purchase be a sweet or a classic item? This is a question I constantly ask myself.

This is where items which I like to call "inbetween" items are a life saver. I would call an "inbetween" item anything that has the potential to be worn with more than one style of lolita. When worn one way, an item could be sweet but worn in a different way, and the effect can appear different.

The latest "inbetween" item on my list are these new Bodyline shoes-

At first I thought the shoes were a little odd, but on closer inspection I really like them. they have a removable crown patch on them. Despite the heart buckles, I would happily wear the brown shoes with classic. For a more sweeter look, I can remove the crown patches and make the most of the heart punch-out details. Brown and classic go so well together but I want to wear these with a chocolate style sweet outfit too. If I dislike the crown on the patch I could always try to remove it and replace it with something more to my personal taste.

I really love it when items like these come along because they have so much potential and they don't cost loads.