September 2017 Haul- Casual Bits and Bobs Edition

Happy Shopping! Knowing that I will probably have to start thinking about Christmas present planning soon (urgh...) I decided to try and get one last haul in before all the holiday madness kicks in. The under-current of this month's haul was 'Will I, or Won't I?' because of customs fees, but I spread out my ordering so that I was always prepared to get hit. Luckily, only my Lolita Desu order got hit. Anyway, these are the J-fashion related items I purchased...

First today is a bag I ordered from Spreepicky. I would have ordered this bag from Taobao, but I was having difficulties locating it. So Spreepicky was the easier (although slightly more expensive) option. But the service was very convenient. I went for Airmail rather than EMS, because the EMS fees seemed ridiculous for ordering just one bag. This meant shipping was a little bit slower, but my bag arrived well within the estimated shipping time. The bag was well packed and there was a protective mesh bag inside for extra protection.

I absolutely adore this tarot card design! The embroidery parts are done neatly and the design is very crisp. I was torn between ordering the white or black bag, but I am happy with my choice. I like the gold colour on the white version. 

The bag is fastened with one simple popper. This is probably the biggest disadvantage to this bag. It doesn't feel overly secure and there are open bits at either end. This means that I probably wont be able to use this bag in very wet weather, as the rain will just enter the bag at the ends. 

The bag is of a reasonable size. It is meant to be a clutch bag. When fully opened up, I was able to fit 3 fingers width inside. So it is big enough to hold the absolute essentials, but not a lot else. The bag is well lined and has an inner pocket. I was also impressed that the bag didn't have any strange odors coming from it, as a lot of my Taobao bags have been a bit dodgy smelling on arrival. The little silicone packet inside was obviously doing its job well!

The strap and chain feel very sturdy and I think it will hold up well. It is a decent length and there is a bit of room for length adjustment too. I am now debating whether or not I want this bag in black... I was given a store discount coupon, although it doesn't last very long. I would say this bag was worth the price paid, even if I could have gotten it a little bit cheaper with better Taobao sleuthing. 

I also placed an order with Lolita Desu, as there were a few bits there which caught my eye. I got a few bits to make the order and shipping price more worth it. I went with Airmail again, which was just a few days longer than I would expect if I had gone with EMS. The tracking still worked, so I was happy with the service. Also, because I am a repeat customer, I got a slight discount. Nice bonus!

This order was also well padded and wrapped up. I even got a little thank you note, sticker and free candy in the order (although I purchased the Blueberry Cheesecake Chupa Chup because we don't have that flavour in the UK and it sounded nice). This made the order feel a little bit more personal, which is unusual for a company of this size.

The first thing I got was this Strawberry Jam Jar brooch which is by Swimmer. I really am going to miss Swimmer now they are closed... Their accessories were so affordable and the designs were very cute. This brooch was quite well made. The embroidery is well executed. I love the little details such as the ribbon and bow on the lid. There is even a little fake pearl on the polka dot bow. The stitching around the edge keeps things neat. As this is a felt brooch, the material is quite flimsy and bends easily. But with reasonable usage, this is not really an issue. The back has a simple badge pin. A 2-way clip on the back would have been a nice touch, but I am happy with just the badge option. I will be keeping my eye out for more Swimmer goodies on Lolita Desu in the future, as they seem to get quite a lot of their stuff and I imagine it will get harder to find as time goes on.

I also got this skirt by E Hyphen World Gallery. This was out of curiosity more than anything else, because it was super cheap and this is my first item from the brand. As I am getting in to Larme more, this is a brand I keep hearing about. The skirt is made out of very stretchy fabric. It reminds me of cutsew style material, but even stretchier and slightly thicker. The colours are really lovely. They remind me of mint ice cream.

There is no opening or shirring in the waistband, but it is so stretchy that sizing is not an issue. I had no issue stretching the skirt to get it on. It probably wouldn't be ideal for larger wearers though, even though it can stretch further. 

It is very fitted and clingy when worn. Obviously I wont be tucking my top in when I wear it properly, as it causes an unsightly bump in the fabric. I am generally quite happy with the skirt for casual wear. My only disappointment is in the length. It ended a lot higher up my leg than I thought it would and I kept having to pull it down at the back. It did keep all the essential bits covered, but I like a little bit of length at the back for added security. The skirt came with the original tags attached, so I could see how much it originally cost. It was quite cheap to begin with, but I admit I wouldn't pay full retail price for this skirt. I am happy with the skirt, but only because of the really low price it was being sold at. It is a fun design though, so I will be keeping an eye on E Hyphen in the future, even though I am not 100% convinced.

Finally, I got a F.i.n.t skirt for casual wear. I first saw this months ago, and the store discount was enough to convince me to take the plunge. The ivory colour was a bit darker than I was expecting, but otherwise I really like the colours. The material this skirt is made of is very strange though. It is very lightweight, but the strange part is that it reminds me of the material used for umbrellas. It has that sort of weird feeling when you touch it. 

I bet you can all guess what drew me to the skirt! I love the print so much. The moons and stars are well dispersed.

There is a ruffle of tulle at the bottom. I am sad that it is left unfinished. Hopefully it wont get damaged. The tulle used also feels quite cheap. This definitely seems to be one of those skirts which looks good, but when you get up close and handle it you realise it is cheap.

This skirt also doesn't have an opening, but there is shirring this time. It stretches quite far. I found I was able to pull it over my hips with ease with a bit of room to spare.

The skirt is lined. Given how cheap some of the other skirt details are, this was a pleasant surprise.

And a worn photo. The skirt felt comfortable to wear. I was surprised that it almost reached my knees. Seeing this picture, I think I would wear a light petticoat with it. It looks a bit sad and droopy here! 

And so ends another haul post without any obvious lolita in it! There hasn't been a great deal available that I have really wanted lately. I am thinking about saving up for a bag that I want, but otherwise I am focusing on casual daily wear more. But as a lover of all things strawberry related, I am sure you will be seeing the brooch in a lolita outfit from me soon!

September 2017 Haul- Unexpected Dream Item Edition

Today I have another haul to share with you all, which is mostly accessory based with a bit of artwork thrown in for good measure. This was not meant to be a 'Big Spending' month for me, especially after DMC, but fate decided to chuck a wishlist item in my direction. I also really like Halloween, which as you will see below heavily influenced my spending.

First is a pair of postcards I got from Polyrillustration on Etsy. I have a bad habit of buying anything remotely bird themed lately, but these are no ordinary birds! They have been drawn by a lolita called Elizabeth and their wings feature a lace pattern. So I guess you could say they have been slightly lolitafied! But I wanted to include these in my haul post because I really think Elizabeth is talented and as an added bonus, she is really lovely! Please go and check out her Etsy.

As well as an envelope covered in the most amazing bird stickers (which I have cut out and kept, even though they are no longer sticky) Elizabeth wrote me a thank you note. Apparently I am her very first customer! I really loved the bird drawing she did for the note. I would be interested to see where she takes her art in the future. Perhaps she could offer to draw customer's birds? (hint hint...)

Next is a Spooktacular haul from H&M. I went looking for Larme-able stuff, and ended up raiding the kid's section. Aside from the moon and star clips, everything came from the kid's section. I have to admit that so far this Autumn I have not been impressed with the very slow trickle of Halloween merchandise available here in the UK. It is not really that big a holiday over here and I was sad that H&M relegated Halloween to the kid's section. 

But I was very glad I took a chance and went to check the kid's bit out (I do this every time I go to H&M) because these accessories are so adorable! I absolutely love the bat clip. All the clips are quite firmly glued on. I am also pleased to say that the chokers stretch enough for an adult to comfortably wear them. The skeleton hands do indeed glow in the dark, but they are not that vibrant. I mainly got these for their spooky vibe. Also, these hand clips are quite popular in Japanese fashion but they can be very expensive. So being able to get them on the high street was a big bonus.

I also got these fluffy scrunchies because I thought they looked cute, but also because I could incorporate them in to my larme wardrobe. Despite being in the kid's section, they have a reasonable amount of stretch to them. My only complaint is I had to buy 2 lots so I could have matching colours if I did twin tails. Who am I kidding, I would have brought them in both colours anyway!

Finally, I got both the necklace and bracelet from Baby's Twinkle Constellation series! You may have seen me use this necklace in a load of outfit collages on here, and now I actually own it! These have both been on my wishlist ever since the series first came out, but they very rarely crop up on the second hand market. Then Closet Child Harajuku got both of them. I had to use a shopping service for the necklace, so I used Muuh Tokyo SS. She replied super quick and within minutes we had arranged for her to go to Closet Child the following day and pick up the necklace for me. I was sent photographic proof of the necklace and receipt. The necklace was also very well packed. I would wholeheartedly recommend her service if you need a speedy shopping service.

Both the bracelet and the necklace were in like new condition. The design which I have coveted for so many years was definitely worth it. The rounded star shape is so cute. It does remind me of candy, as do the frosted beads. The star chains interwoven in to the design are a nice touch as well. I did notice that the star charms were a little stiff and don't have much movement to them, but this is only a minor complaint. The necklace has lots of space on the chain to adjust the length, but the bracelet is firmly one size only. I did find this meant the bracelet slipped quite far down my arm. I suppose because of the bracelet design it would have been difficult to make it adjustable without compromising on appearance. But overall, I am super happy to finally tick these off my wishlist. I don't have that many items left to go now, which is exciting! I do wonder how (or if) my wardrobe will expand after I get everything else.

So those are my new items! Despite the necklace really taking me by surprise and screwing up my socialising funds for this month, I don't regret getting it at all. It is a really cool design and now I am probably going to bore you all by wearing it constantly! The other items were all cheap and well worth the money. I really like it when you find little surprises on the high street. Primark, didn't have the fluffy bag I wanted, but otherwise my shopping trip left me satisfied. There is more stuff on the way to me in the mail so hopefully there will be another haul post in the near future.

July 2017 Haul- Pre-Birthday Edition (picture heavy)

I always find the period just before my birthday a bit of a strange time with regards to shopping. As my mum was going away around the time of my birthday she gave me my birthday money a few weeks beforehand. But I had to be very careful what I brought in case anybody had gone ahead and brought things for me! There were a couple of things that cropped up that I knew I was unlikely to get as presents, so I had a bit of a shopping spree. I suppose I just wanted to use my birthday money to treat myself, so that is what I did. The majority of today's haul is Larme influenced, although there are a couple of Baby necklaces in the haul as well.

Firstly, I noticed that New Look was having a sale, so I decided that this would be the perfect time to order a couple of skirts that I had my eye on. I also got myself these really awesome lilac coloured jeans (not pictured, but you may have spotted them in my birthday blog post) in the sale too. I am sort of still trying to figure out what sort of Larme style I would like to wear and I liked the look of this skirt in the stock photo. As it was so cheap, I got 2 colours! They are made of a crepe style fabric, which gives them a very interesting texture. I really like how it feels. The colours of the skirts were exactly what I was expecting and looked similar enough to the photos on the website.

They have these little side strap details which I think help to stop them from looking too plain.

The zip line was done neatly and well concealed. I have to admit I did have a little trouble undoing the zip at first, as it was a bit stiff, but it seems to be getting easier with time.

I am really pleased to see that the skirts are lined. The stitching on the skirt is done neatly. I feel these skirts were definitely worth the price paid.

Here is a worn photo. There is just one slight issue with the skirt- where I have lost weight, my waist measurement is now considerably smaller than my hip measurement. So this means that I had to order the size based on my hips and the waist is a little bit baggy on me. I found the skirt looked better once I had fiddled about with re-positioning it, but you may be able to see in the photo that it is sitting lower than my waistline. I am not too concerned about this, but there is no way for me to wear a belt with the skirt. This is something I am going to have to consider when ordering in the future. Luckily, New Look offers free returns so I am still able to order with confidence.

Next is a BTSSB necklace that was on my wishlist. But before we get on to the necklace, look at how massive the box that Japonica shipped it in was! I am holding the necklace up to the box for a size comparison. It is no wonder Japonica charged me so much for shipping! I find it a bit wasteful, but there wasn't really anything else on auctions or Mercari that I particularly wanted. The awkward thing about having a smaller wishlist is that things can pop up out of nowhere but then it will be ages before you find anything else. So it makes shipping stuff a bit of a pain, because if you combine orders you have no idea how long it will be until the next item comes up.

Anyway, here is the necklace! I have wanted the Chained Berry Memoir necklace ever since the series came out. This is maybe the second time I have seen the necklace appear on the 2nd hand market, so it doesn't seem to be that common. 

I absolutely love the design. The antique silver colour is so lovely. It really suits the CBM print as well. The strawberry charm is so cute. It makes a slight jingle noise as well, which one of my budgies approved of! 

The chain is of a decent length and there is a bit of room to adjust the length as well. What I really like though, is the small Baby logo charm on the chain. I thought that was a really lovely finishing touch.

Next we have another Baby necklace, this time purchased from Closet Child. I had a bit of a dilemma about purchasing this. Those of you who are familiar with my wishlist on Facebook may be aware that I really wanted the Twinkle Constellation and the Stars of Confeito necklace. This necklace is similar, but it is not the same one (I think this one is called Kitty Constellation or something along those lines...). The main differences with this necklace is that there are fewer stars, the edges of the stars are more pointy and there is a big ribbon on it. So I had to decide if I was happy to settle for this necklace, or wait and try to get my wishlist necklace (which very rarely comes up and usually sells quick when it does). As you can see, I went ahead and got this necklace and I was really pleased that I did. The design is really cute in person. In actual fact, I have made getting the Twinkle Constellation necklace a very low priority now, as I am really content with this necklace.

Going by Closet Child's description, I would say the condition of the item was as expected, maybe even slightly better. My only complaint is that the ends of the ribbon are not properly sealed, so there is a slight bit of fraying. That is easy to seal up though. The stars are so cute and they look a whole lot better in person than they do in my photos. I love to multi-coloured beads as well. It looks really pretty when worn. I am so glad I took a chance on it.

In the same Closet Child order I got this Katie badge. It still had the original Katie packaging and price tag. Although the box was a bit battered, I was still pleased that CC included it when they sent it to me. The original price tag was a bit scary though! I love Katie, but I feel their prices can be a bit steep sometimes, so I am always keeping an eye out for good deals on the 2nd hand market.

The badge is absolutely perfect and looks brand new. There are no scratches or damage anywhere. The design is crisp.

The back has a simple pin. There is no glue residue visible anywhere. So I am pleased I was able to add this to my order. I am still reluctant to pay retail price for Katie though!

Next we have an Aliexpress order. It's been ages since I have ordered from there because I wasn't that impressed with the service last time. But I decided to give this shop a go (I think it is called Adomoe? I will try and find the link) as it has some pieces which can work very well for Larme. There are even a few Mon Lily replicas (including this skirt) on there. I don't really wish to promote buying replicas, but as Mon Lily is by DreamV and I have mixed feelings about their quality (especially for the prices they charge for some things) I didn't feel as guilty about buying this replica as I would usually. The skirt I got is very shiny, but you could see that from the stock photos anyway, so I knew what to expect. The materials are a decent quality for the price paid. However, the only issue is that the material creases really easily, as you will see in the worn photos.

The details on the side were executed reasonably well. They could have been better, but they also could have been a lot worse! I like the use of velveteen for the bows. It offers a fun contrast with the shiny main material.

There is a small shirring panel, which is really well hidden underneath a ribbon on the outside. This panel is not overly generous, but it is nice to have it there. I found the sizing guide on the product listing to be pretty accurate.

The stitching is quite neat. I could find no obvious flaws on the skirt.

And here is a worn photo. Do you see what I mean about the creasing? I haven't checked to see if you can iron this skirt, but my guess is you cannot. Creasing aside, I am otherwise impressed. The skirt was comfortable. It hugged my waist well without being too tight.

I think the ribbon topping the shirring emphasises the size of my bottom a bit more than I would like, but overall I am very happy with the skirt! I just need to get those creases out!

Finally, I got these 2 lacy tops from the same Aliexpress store. They have a cute heart cut out detail. I am not that blessed in the bust department, so I have always been a bit wary of the cut-out trend in Larme, but the hearts on these tops are small enough that it isn't really an issue.

The heart cut out was done quite well. The edge is neat and you can easily make out the heart shape. Although the lace quality is a bit questionable, it actually feels surprisingly soft. It is not itchy at all! 

There is a small ribbon loop on the back to make putting on the top a bit easier. I thought that was a nice touch.

The stitching is very neat and once again, I found no obvious flaws or mistakes.

The size guide on the product listing was spot on and I found the right size easily. The top is comfortable and feels nice against the skin. I like how the neck doesn't cling too much and the way the ruffle around the neck looks when worn. As you can see, the heart shape is easy to make out too. I love that it is subtle and sits well above my bust. The only thing I am going to do is cut out the labels inside. Having a see-through top means the labels stick out like a sore thumb.

And so that is my latest haul. I am really pleased with every single thing I got. My larme wardrobe is really starting to shape up now, and I have added some nice accessories for lolita as well. I am really looking forward to extending and experimenting with my style a bit more and these pieces are really going to help me achieve this. Plus I got some absolutely fantastic birthday presents from my friends as well (thank you!!!). I am feeling very spoilt right now, but also very loved. This has been a really positive time in my life and I can genuinely say I am feeling happy. This is mostly due to the wonderful experiences I have had lately, although a little bit of retail therapy can be good from time to time!

Recent Haul- Baby's First Larme Edition

As I briefly mentioned in a recent post, I have been really drawn to Larme Kei recently. My primary interest is still lolita, but seeing how easy it is to find workable Larme pieces on the high street, I decided to see if I could start dipping my toe in to the fashion with some low priced items. Fortunately, pom poms are apparently 'in' at the moment, so there are lots of Larme friendly accessories out there right now. Chokers, like the ones worn a lot in the 90s, also had a bit of a moment. Reading Larme focused blogs has helped me to pick up some ideas of the sort of style direction I want to go in. So I am sharing my recent purchases here. Apologies for this haul not being very lolita related, but I have been very busy recently, which means I have been going out a lot an subsequently spending more money on non-fashion things. These cheap purchases have been keeping me cheerful until my next big shopping spree!

I found these pom pom hair twists in New Look. They were actually in the sale, so I got them for £2 instead of the price shown on the sticker above. I thought the black and white ones looked pretty, but I was instantly drawn to the pastel ones. The colours are so soft and dreamy. The shades remind me of ice cream! These pom poms are suitably fluffy and I think they could make a good hair accessory if you bunch a few together. Who knows, if I am feeling a bit more daring, maybe I will try using them with lolita as well...

This is the backing of the pom poms. As you can see, you sort of twist them in to your hair.

I tried just the one pom pom at first to see how it looked. They surprisingly gripped my hair quite well. I am tempted to use a bobby pin or two with them though, just to make sure they are extra secure. I doubt I would have paid full price for these, but I feel I paid a good price for what I got.

Also from New Look is this 'Scuba' (I have no idea why they named it this) dress. I saw that somebody else had brought it, saying it would be good for Pheremone Fetish Larme style. I can see their point. From the pictures below you will be able to see the ruffle details a bit better.

This photo shows the bodice ruffles a bit better. I have been having a lot of camera and lighting issues recently (sorry!). I think the ruffles really help to transform what would otherwise be a very basic black dress.

Here is an attempt at a worn photo. The material is very stretchy. Even though I managed to get this dress in my desired size, I was still grateful for the stretch. The material clings quite a bit, so it is probably not the ideal dress to wear if you are conscious of your figure. I really like the overall shape and the length. The zip got a little bit stuck going up, because of the way the fabric around it has been sewn. Eventually I managed to get the zip to go up though, and the dress was comfortable.

I intend to wear this dress with a top layered underneath anyway, but for the worn photos I wanted to show how it looked on its own. However, I did have to wear a camisole because as this picture demonstrates, this dress sits very low on me. My strapless bra was really visible when I initially tried it on without the camisole. So my options are I can either go bra-less or wear a top underneath. The listing suggests that you should be able to wear this dress by itself, which suggests the fit is slightly not right for me. But this is easily fixed because of how I intend to wear it anyway. But it is still something to consider if you have seen this dress and were considering buying it.

Here we have another New Look purchase! I am not intending to use this with Larme kei, I just happened to like how it looked when I saw it featured in a magazine. Sheer layers are another popular trend right now and I liked the idea of styling it in a punk sort of way, over a band top and maybe jeans. I spent months trawling through multiple branches of New Look to find this dress, but nowhere had it. In the end, I had to order it online with the other dress. They sold out of my size earlier in the day (I went to order this in the afternoon and my size had literally only just run out a few hours before!) so I had to go a size up. Because of the style of dress, it doesn't hurt that I got a bigger size anyway. 

The tulle it is made from is a bit cheap but thankfully it is not too scratchy when worn. I think the dress tiers are well spaced out.

The top style is quite basic in design and I think it looks a bit like lingerie! I do like the ruffle going along the neckline though. 

The dress does not have a zip or button up design. You literally pull it over your head. Luckily it is really stretchy. Sizing up actually went in my favour! I like the overall length, but I wish the neckline sat a little bit higher. Overall though, I am happy with the dress. It was priced quite cheaply, so I didn't feel too ripped off by the cheap materials and it suits the look I am going for which is quite 'distressed' (the ''outfit'' above was just a 'trying on' thing and not supposed to be a final outfit). It could have been better, but I got what I paid for.

I also decided to pick up issue 13 of Larme magazine. It is one of the few that is still available on Amazon UK and from the reviews I guessed that this would be the best volume to get. I wont publish scans because in light of Kera/GLB ceasing publication I feel it is more important than ever to protect our J-fashion magazines (although there are obviously going to be scans elsewhere, I didn't want to contribute here with more). My general reaction to this news is that Japanese fashion wont die if we continue to wear it and share our content online. I am still a bit upset about GLB though. There is something to be said about sitting down with a magazine you can physically hold and take your time to turn the pages and get yourself nice and comfy. Also (a bit of a weird confession...) I have this odd fondness for that magazine 'smell'. Please tell me I am not the only one who loves smelling their magazines! Swiftly moving on... I have only had a quick flick through so far, but I am already falling in love with the magazine aesthetic and the look captured in the photo shoots. So if nothing else, I have a new pretty art book and I can pick up and admire! The magazine looks pretty inspiring and gives a much clearer idea of what Larme is about. I think that even if you have read Larme blog posts online, the magazine is definitely still worth getting. 

Finally, I went a bit mad in Claire's Accessories yesterday. I saw they had these cheap pom pom chokers. These were available in the Oxford store as well but that branch had a different offer. Then my local branch decided to go and change their offer to buy 3 get 3 free. So I ended up having to find 6 items instead of the intended 3. Luckily their choker range seems pretty promising at the moment. I got all of these items for £16. That is less then £3 an item. I couldn't resist the moon choker and necklace. Moons are definitely my style! You can't really tell from the photo, but the pom pom ones are on a leather strap and the other 2 are on velvet. 

I thought that rather than review each item individually I would just show how the pom pom chokers look. If you want any further information on the items above then please comment and tell me what details you would like to know. I tried on the black pom pom choker and found it was an okay length. I am wearing this on the smallest setting. As you can see, it is not completely skin tight, but I prefer my chokers like that anyway. The leather straps were also slightly bent in to the shape that they were packaged in. With time I am confident this will improve. It is just a matter of storing them well. I am not really sure why there is a thin string line on the choker as well. I am tempted to cut it off. 

So once again, I am sorry this haul is not more lolita relevant. I just really wanted to get a few Larme-ish bits which didn't break the bank. I am not sure it is a style I want to properly get in to yet, and lolita will always be my main love, but I suppose I see no harm in giving new things a go. If I happen to pick up any lolita purchases soon, I will certainly share them here! In fact, at the time of updating this post I had just put in a pre-order for some cute lolita friendly jewelry, so keep an eye out for that post soon (should be in about a month or so).