Outfit post (simple classic) and a few London snaps

Today I am doing a quick post because after an stressful Sunday, I am not really in the greatest of moods and the last thing I feel like doing is writing a long post. So instead I thought I would share my outfit from Saturday. I went to London to celebrate my friend's birthday.

Just so you know, the leather jacket was not intended to be a part of my outfit! I decided to do some toned down classic because the friends I was meeting with were not lolitas. Although they have seen me in lolita before, I didn't want to take the attention away from my friend. And it worked! I had one person come up to me and one person took a sneaky photo without my permission but apart from that, I was left alone. I wore my Meta lucky pack floral JSK and matching barrette (attached to a black bow), with my black Bodyline blouse, bolero and plain black offbrand accessories. It is not a particularly exciting lolita outfit, but it worked for my personal needs.

We went to Hamleys which is a huge toy shop. I managed to find some breathing space on the stairs, which looked amazing. They were all painted and had 3D flowers coming off the walls and wrapped around the stairs.

A completely random book we food! Carrying on with the theme, there is another wall in the background covered in foliage! This time the leaves were real and the shop calls this the "living wall".

We are fans of Angry Birds, so Jo had a face-off with the largest Angry Bird in Hamleys. I would have loved to get one of these but I doubt there is enough room in my house.

A random plug we found!

We went to the Hummingbird Bakery. I thought the display cupcakes were really cute! I had a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. It tasted amazing. This is my 2nd time going there and it is fun going to the actual bakery, rather than just using the cookbook at home.

The Olympic count-down clock in Trafalgar Square. London is going to go absolutely mental next Summer! Maybe I should have an Olympics party.

And when I was having a bad Sunday, I was really craving this children's book. It is one of the most amusing books I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

I should be back to normal on Wednesday and I am very sorry for the odd post today.

Garnier BB Cream Review

I have got to be honest- I am not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to make-up and I never really write reviews for beauty products. But BB Cream is something I have been curious about for a long time so I thought I should at least try.

As you can see, I was too tight to actually go and buy the product! This is the sample I got in the post after filling out a form on the Garnier BB website. You get 3 generous sachets and a coupon to get some money off your next BB buy (provided you like it, of course).

I went for light because I am incredibly pale skinned. This BB cream only comes in 2 shades, which I find disappointing. As I was predicting, this product was too dark for my skin so I would need to mix in a little moisturiser to make a shade closer to my natural colouring. However, some Asian BB creams appear very grey when you first put them on your skin so I suppose the colour for this one was better than I was expecting. Somehow, I have managed to lose the picture of what the actual product looks like but when I put some on my fingers, it felt just like a liquid foundation. I was a little concerned because it also felt a bit greasy and my skin can get very oily.

This first picture is part of my face before I applied BB cream or anything else. Sorry for not showing my full face but I was having a bad skin day and I was too self-conscious to show the rest of my face! As you can see I have some dark patches and blemishes. I also get very red in the face around my nose and cheeks and some of my pores are visible.

This is how my skin looked after applying the Garnier BB Cream and absolutely nothing else. Just as I predicted, the cream felt very greasy on my skin. A lot of BB creams are meant to give a dewy complexion but my skin just appeared more shiny than usual. I had to apply more powder than usual afterwards and my make-up felt as though it would slide off my face at any moment. I would probably use primer first if I were to use this BB cream again. My pores did not feel as clogged as usual. My blemishes were still visible but not as noticeable as they were in the previous picture. Despite this, my skin tone did appear more even.

This is how I looked after adding foundation, concealer and powder (yes, I wear a lot of make-up). I could not use the BB cream in place of foundation because you could still see some flaws. However, I found that I could apply a lot less foundation than I usually do. I still needed a similar amount of concealer just to make sure my blemishes were well and truly covered. My make-up stayed in place for a few hours, after which I just had to top up my powder because my skin became shiny again.

At £10 a tube, I think I would spend a little bit more to import an Asian BB Cream or I would try a different one on the Western market. The Garnier BB Cream does do some of the tasks it promises but I don't think the difference is majorly noticable. I probably would not buy this particular BB cream unless I was on a very limited budget.

I have not been converted to BB creams yet. My next task will be to try another BB cream when I get the chance. I am looking in to getting one by Missha next. I am thinking of getting this one in shade 13, Milky Beige- http://www.thebbcreamshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=153&zenid=v5kjihl6faac14lkt5pcp2f0s3

Hopefully I will get to try it in the near future.

An AP print discussion double post!

To make up for the fact that I got a bit behind with the print discussions, I will today be discussing 2 Angelic pretty prints! Today I am looking at Moon Night Theatre and Sugar Hearts. I will be doing MNT first, so scroll down if you want to skip to Sugar Hearts. Brace yourselves, this will be a very long post!

Firstly, here is Moon Night Theatre. The series is comprised of 3 dresses, a skirt, head bow, socks and some accessories. This series has already been released.

This is the OP. The bodice looks very well fitted. I like how this dress is divided in to 2 parts so the print is not totally dominant. The front corset looks very neat and well spaced out and the ribbon looks good quality. Although the lace running vertically alongside the corset looks neat and well presented, I didn't like the shape and type of lace used. The neck ties help to give the dress a good shape and are a good length. The sleeves look cute and I like the slight puffy appearance. They also look nicely elasticated for various sizes and the lace used is good quality and cute. There are 2 small bows on each sleeve, which looks a little fussy, so I would have preferred just one pair of bows here. The back has a panel of shirring, which is concealed by a ribbon corset. The waist ties are also very well concealed and not that visible from the front. The skirt has a cute round shape to it. Although the skirt is a pretty shape, maybe it is a little too sweet compared to the print. Despite the large number of pleats, it doesn't appear to conceal the print that badly. The lace on the bottom hem is very pretty and features 'A' and 'P' on it.

This is the pleated JSK. The overall shape of the bodice looks well fitted, but in a few of the pictures the dress material looked a bit loose in places. Unlike the OP, this JSK features the print all over so I think the belt around the waist is a good idea to help break it up a bit. The waist bow looks very cute and if you like, you can detach the belt. There are another 2 lines of black material topped with bows, which stop the dress from looking too plain. These bits are surrounded by pretty lace, but the lace blends in a bit so it is not instantly noticeable. There is thin lace along the neckline and along the sleeves, which looks nice and soft. The straps are a bit thin, but the lace helps to thicken them a little. I would have liked wider straps for more support and to stop them falling down. The back does not have any shirring in it, so not good for larger wearers. The back has been kept plain apart from some ribbon crossing over between the straps. The skirt looks a very generous size and with the pleats as well, it will fit a lot of petticoat underneath. The overall shape is not as rounded as the OP, but I prefer the slightly more A-line shape. The pleats on this dress are a bit deeper so the print is a bit more obscured and not displayed as well. But at least the print is not covered with too many details such as extra ribbons. The bottom hem is finished with the same lace as the OP.

This is the tiered JSK. The bodice looks a good shape, but it doesn't look that well fitted. Thankfully, the detachable belt has been used on this JSK as well to help break up the print. Going on first impressions, the dress looks a bit plain, but the bodice does have a raised section, which has folds in it to give it added volume and texture. I think the ribbon on the front looks a little strange and maybe would have looked nicer if it was in a zigzag shape. The straps are a bit thin, but they do match the belt very well. The straps are topped with nicely shaped bows, which adds interest. There is a large panel of shirring on the back which has been left open, so it looks very exposed. I also thought that when the ribbon waist ties were removed, the shirring was more obvious because you could see the difference in the print spacing. The skirt shape is a bit lumpy, but you tend to expect that at least a little bit with tiered designs. The skirt flares outwards nicely, so it will fit a lot of petticoat. There is a ribbon line running along the bottom hem, which is then finished with more of the same lace. For some reason the lace appears wider and more noticable on this dress, compared to the other 2 dresses.

And this is the print close-up. In all honesty, when I saw the title Moon Night Theatre, I was expecting something very different to the actual print. I thought it would be similar to Starry Night Theatre (a series I would love to own) and that I would instantly fall in love with this new series. But as you can see, this print is not what I was expecting and because I set my hopes highly, I was disappointed! I do like the gold parts on the print such as the chandeliers, castle, curtains and top hat. What I can't get over is why AP have chosen to obscure what could have been a beautiful print with ANGELIC PRETTY written in massive letters over the top. Are AP, trying to hammer home the message about where you got your dress from? With the letters being so dominant, this print was a huge let-down for me. However, it is interesting to see AP using more muted colours. Despite this, I think my favourite is the black colour, simply because the gold stands out the best on the darker background.

So overall, I think the dress designs suit the print, but the print is just not that exciting. I was very disappointed with this series and I was hoping for a lot more. However, I did like the necklace that was released as part of this series, but sadly I forgot to get a picture! I would recommend looking up the necklace.

And now, we will move on to Sugar Hearts, which is a slightly newer series but is already available on AP's website. This series has 2 dresses, a skirt, a headbow, a cutsew, and there are still socks to come. A few pieces from the Candy Treat series have also been made available again because Sugar Hearts is a bit like a continuation of the Candy Treat series, as you will see below.

This is the OP. As you can see, this series is made with chiffon, giving it a soft floaty feel. The bodice looks well fitted, considering the material used (you don't really want tight chiffon!). The belt helps to make the dress smart, stopping it from looking like frilly nightwear. The sleeves look a bit droopy and could have had a bit more shape to them. The sleeves and neckline have lines of thin lace, which has heart shape details. The lace is a good width, because the dress is frilly enough.

The bodice has a raised panel, lined with more heart lace and topped with very cute buttons. I absolutely love the buttons! They are so sweet and look just like the actual sweets. There is a floaty bow just above the buttons, but I think it looks a bit cheap and I would take it off.

The back has a panel of shirring, which is concealed well by a ribbon corset. I quite like the waist ties (shown) because unlike a lot of waist ties, they are not completely boring! I like the rounded ruffle edge, topped with bows.

The skirt part flares out nicely, so it is prefect for a sweet look. The tiers are spaced nicely. I think tiers look really pretty when used with chiffon. It looks so frothy and girly, and surprisingly for me, I love it! Each tier is finished nicely with some thin lace, just to make the edges look prettier.

This is the JSK. I like the babydoll high waist design, although it does look a bit like a nightie. I think this is one of those dresses that you could wear casually, but with the right accessories, you could make a beautiful OTT outfit with it too. I think the heart shaped neckline is pretty and the bows at the bottom of the straps compliment the design. The bows are not too big, shaped nicely and placed well. I also think that the straps are the right width for the dress style.

However, I do think that the JSK does have too many buttons on the front. They look overcrowded. Sometimes, less is more! The chest area also has quite a bit of gathering. It will help add a bit of volume to a smaller bust.

The skirt part is not as flared as the OP and doesn't flow as nicely. But it is still very cute, and you will be able to use a lot of petticoat with it. The edges of the tiers have different lace, which is wider and more noticeable and topped with bows. It looks more fancy, but I prefer the OP.

Finally, here is the print close-up. It is not exactly original, but it does take my favourite part of the Candy Treat print and makes it the main feature. I loved the candy hearts on Candy Treat and I love them here as well. The colours are the typical range of pastels, white and black. I would happily wear any of the pastel shades or the white version. I didn't think the black version looked as pretty. I figured with such a cute print, I would go the whole way and pick the sweetest colours too!

So whilst this series does not seem that special, I am not dismissing it. Although it doesn't appear to be selling that quickly, I think it would be a great addition to a sweet wardrobe. I would definitely buy from this series. I think I would go for the OP because I think the design works better. As for the colour? I am not fussy. I like all the colours. Sugar Hearts does not live up to its 'mother print' (I just randomly came up with the term 'mother print' right now!) Candy Treat but it is still super cute.

And so, if you are reading this sentence, it means you got to the end of my mammoth post. Give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve it!

New Bodyline Coats

This time last year, I was madly searching for a nice coat to keep me warm whilst I was wearing lolita. In the end, I picked a Bodyline coat which thankfully, was warm enough for a typical English Winter. I am very happy with my coat selection and I am not looking to buy another this Winter, but I thought I would have a look at this year's coats anyway. I think quite a lot of lolitas struggle with purchasing a coat because they can be quite expensive, so I was relieved that my Bodyline coat was better than I was expecting.

To be honest... this year's coats are not as well designed as last year's designs. Last year there was a very pretty sailor coat, which was surprisingly versatile (and still available on the website in black only). However, I am not going to write off the new coats just yet, because they are still very cute.

Cat ears have not exactly got a good reputation in the lolita community, but I know they have their fans too. If you are in to cats, then this coat could be for you! With its ears, fake fur and bells, there is no doubt that this coat is aimed at the sweet loving crowd. I am impressed with the shape of this coat, which reminds me of the shape brands use sometimes. I also like the bow on the back, which just furthers the sweet theme. I would have preferred heart shape pockets on the front because the cat ears on the pockets are a bit OTT. I would have also left the bells off. Also, with the black coat, maybe black fake fur would have been nicer. My overall impression of this coat is cute, but I probably wouldn't wear it myself. Despite the haters, many lolitas still wear animal ears.

Bodyline are also bringing in some capes. I felt design-wise, this cape was the nicest because some of the colours on the other capes were a bit... 'interesting'. I think this cape may also have limited appeal. The picture does not show how easy it is to move your arms underneath. There is no point spending out on a coat if it is not that practical! Whilst I do like the use of check (especially the gathering on the bottom bit) and also the bows, I think the lace on this coat looks bad. It looks a bit cheap. The collar is a good shape and the pom pom ties fit well with the design. I wish there had been more colour options with the check parts, which is black on every colourway.

As far as longer coats go, this is the lastest design. The coat reminds me of similar styles from FanplusFriend. Hopefully, the fake fur parts will be detachable, because that would give the wearer more options about what to team this coat with. It would have been good if there were more options with the fake fur colour, but if the red coat had white fur there would be a real risk of it looking like a Father Christmas outfit! I dislike the shape of this coat. I think it could be a bit longer in length and the scalloped edge is average. However, the cape sits nicely over the coat and I think it would look cute worn alone on warmer days. This coat has rose buttons and some lace too, which blends in with the design. It will be interesting to see what sort of lolitas decide to go for this coat. Will non-sweet lolitas be put off by the fake fur, or will they see the potential of the coat minus the fur?

Given the choice between this year's coat designs and last year's coats, I think I would try to get a coat from last year's selection. Some of the coat prices have fluctuated throughout the year, but I feel those designs are more wearable. However, don't underestimate the new coats. I know people who will love these newer coats and if people have a few minor issues with the design, then maybe customisation could be an option. Even though I dislike the bells, I would not let that put me off the cat coat because they should be easy to remove. My only advice would be that if you live in a country that has VERY bad Winters, you may need a good cardigan underneath. My Bodyline coat is perfect for England, but it may be a different story in a colder country!

Finally, I would just like to quickly apologise if my blog posts are a little erratic over the next few weeks. I have not been feeling very well lately, but I am going to try my best to keep things going as normal as possible. I am also going to try and work on improving the content of my posts so do keep reading!

Misty Night Royal Game by AatP

Today I will be taking a look at the new series from Alice and the Pirates. This series is called Misty Night Royal Game. It looks like we have another chess print to add to the trend! this series has 3 dresses, a skirt, a vest, pants, socks, a headbow and jewellery.

This is the first JSK. The bodice looks very well fitted and it has a very interesting neckline and shape. The bodice is in the style of a vest.

I thought the bodice deserved a closer picture. I absolutely love the detail! The style suits the overall theme of the series and it also looks quite grown-up. The 6 buttons are very plain in design but if they had been more detailed, it may have looked too much with the very detailed dress. The buttons are also a good colour match with the chess pieces in the print. The lace looks neat and thankfully, it is not too wide. I don't think wider lace would have looked good on this dress. The bottom of the bodice has a frill where it meets the waist and cleverly makes it look like a 2-piece set rather than a dress. The straps are a good width.

The back of the bodice is a tiny bit disappointing. There is a generous panel of shirring but it has been left very exposed. I also think I would have preferred halter neck straps that tie around the neck instead of the cross-straps used on this dress. The skirt is a good A-line shape and flares out quite well, which is suitable for classic lolita. The skirt part has wisely been kept simple. There is a line of very regal looking lace, suitable for a chess/royal theme. The bottom hem is then finished off with some wider lace, which looks very pretty.

This is the other JSK. the bodice part is very shapely and will emphasise the waist. I am very undecided by the design on this bodice. The 3 bows running down the front are a pretty shape, but they appear very cute compared to the very classic print. The way the lace is layered over the dress gives the dress a more 3-dimensional look, but I don't think the design works as well as the vest bodice on the other JSK. The neckline has a pretty ruffle. The straps are a bit thin and very plain. The back has a panel of shirring and this time, it has been hidden by a ribbon corset. It looks a bit tidier than the other JSK. The skirt part has a pretty bell shape to it. It looks like it wont flare out as much as the the JSK, but you should still be able to achieve a pretty classic shape. Like the other JSK, this dress has a line of lace breaking the skirt in to two. However, I don't think the higher placing of this lace works that well and maybe it would have been better to leave the skirt plain. The bottom hem is finished off with a line of pretty lace and it appears to be the same lace used on the other JSK.

This is the OP. The bodice looks very nicely shaped but for some reason, I think the overall shape is a bit stiff and rigid. It looks like it could be a bit uncomfortable to wear! It doesn't help that this dress also has no shirring and where the zip is in the back, the print is broken. However the white yoke part is shaped nicely, as is the white part on the skirt, which if done wrong could have ended looking a bit like an apron. The waist bow also helps to break up the white parts, although it is fairly large. The long sleeves are ended nicely with more solid white and a row of pearly buttons. The skirt part has a pretty A-line shape to it which again, would suit classic lolita. Where the print meets the solid colour part, there is lace which softens the edges. The lace does not look too OTT because it blends in well, as does the lace used on the bottom hem. I know some will disagree with me, but I prefer the solid print rather than having it broken up by solid colour parts.

This is the print close-up. The colours available are royal green (shown), burgandy, chocolat and Noir. I am having a hard time deciding which colour I like best because I think the colours all look very similar. At a push, I would say my favourite was a choice between royal green and chocolat. I LOVE this print! I love how detailed all the chess pieces are and they are displayed quite well. The flowers help to soften the print a little too. It works so well and this is the sort of standard I expect from an Alice and the Pirates print!

I am also a huge fan of the socks. I am going through a bit of a diamond phase at the moment and I can't get enough of them! I like the use of the chess pieces on the socks too. However, I am unsure if I would want to wear these socks with one of the dresses because I think that may be pushing the diamond motif a bit too far. Whether worn with the dresses from this series or not, these socks will make an impact.

I also quite liked this ring. If I am being honest, I do prefer the chess piece jewellery that Angelic Pretty released with Chess Chocolate a lot more than the jewellery available with this series. But I still think this jewellery is beautiful and at least if you buy from the same series, you know the colours will match.

So overall, I am very impressed by this series and I would buy from it! I think the vest style JSK is my favourite but I am still undecided on the colour. I think some people will think this print is too busy and bold, but I think it is bold in a good way. The design is not exactly that original, but I think it is a strong contender. I really want this series to succeed and I hope other lolitas like it as much as I do.

Meta cake!

After randomly browsing Meta's Japanese site, I found this cute cake collaboration with Patisserie Swallowtail.

It looks so yummy and I really want one! Although it is only available in Japan, I still enjoy looking at yummy cakes like these. I have often wanted to re-create brand logos to go on cakes for a lolita meet and I still remember when somebody recreated a Moitie print for a birthday cake (it was epic). The Meta cake can be viewed here- http://www.patisserie-swallowtail.jp/modules/pico/index.php?content_id=70

I don't know when I will next be hosting a meet, but when I do, I am tempted to do logo cakes. Let's see how they turn out!

Ebay selling- November 2011

I am selling a few items on Ebay here- http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/cashdoggrocks/m.html?hash=item4cfb6645a2&item=330635298210&pt=UK_Women_s_Skirts&_trksid=p4340.l2562

One of the items on offer is my Bodyline candy print skirt.

I just figured that I should sell a few items before Christmas so I can buy everybody lots of lovely presents! Do contact me if you have any questions.