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.

Items of Desire- Pout Paints by Sleek

With all the different skin tones out there, sometimes it can be hard to find a lip shade that really suits you. And some days you want a look suitable for the day, and something a bit more bold for the evening. Or maybe you just want to try something completely new.

So I think Sleek's Pout Paints are ideal. Sleek is a make-up brand which is available in Superdrug, but I am sure there are other products on the market which do a similar task.

The idea is that you can mix pout paints together to make your very own unique lip colour. It is an interesting idea. Luckily, the Sleek ones are not too expensive (around £4.99) and you only need a very tiny amount because the colour is quite intense. If you got just a couple of paints, you could come up with lots of different shades. Peek-a-bloo (the blue shade) adds depth and warmth and blue tones are also useful if your teeth are not a pearly white shade and want to make them appear brighter. Use Cloud9 (the white shade) to lighten the colour.

Pout paints are great if you want your own personalised shade and it is definitely something I have considered. Being able to play with make-up is brilliant and I can see myself spending an afternoon having a bit of fun with these!

Bittersweet Valentine Thank You

My local group got another Valentine today, but this time it made me feel a little sad inside. But thank you to the maker of number 14.

http://loli-valentines.livejournal.com/109281.html?view=3129057

Creepy Bear!

From now, up until Christmas Day, BABY are offering a free bear with every order over 30,000yen (subject to availability). This bear is called "Gentle Bear" and it comes in 2 colours. But...

... I have to say that I think the black teddy with the red eyes is incredibly creepy looking! I think I would get a shock if I opened a BABY parcel and saw those red eyes staring back at me! The brown one is okay, but you can't guarantee you will get that one. I am actually a little relieved that I don't want to place an order with BABY right now!

Classic Melody by Angelic Pretty

Today I will be having a look at Classic Melody by AP. This is a small series with 2 JSKs, a headbow, socks and a bag.

This is the first JSK. The bodice is a nice shape and looks like it will fit well. The neckline also has an interesting shape to it. I like how thin lace is used along the neckline to emphasise the shape. That little chest panel actually has 2 line of lace but because the lace used is so thin, it works quite well. This panel is finished with a soft satin bow. The bow is a good shape and I like the size. There is another, much larger, satin bow on the waist. Usually, I wouldn't like my waist bow being that big, but if you consider how simple the print looks compared to your typical AP pastel OTT print, the large bow is not that overwhelming. However, the waist bow is detachable and I think the dress looks pretty with and without the bow. There are 2 lines of lace running vertically up the bodice, which blend in on the black and pink version, but is more noticable on the ivory version. The straps are a decent width and are finished with thin semi-circle lace, which is pretty but also nice and simple. The back has a panel of shirring, concealed by a tidy-looking ribbon corset. The back part has a bustle. Judging by a side view of the dress, the tiers are well spaced out. Unlike some back bustles, I don't think this one would emphasise a large bottom (which has always been a major issue for me when it comes to bustle skirts) because it doesn't flare out too much. Despite not flaring out much, the bustle does not look flat and limp. The skirt part is your typical AP shape, round and full. It would hold a lot of petticoat underneath and will create a lovely sweet lolita silhouette. The skirt is fairly plain, which helps show off the print better. There are vertical lines of lace running down the skirt, which connect with the bows near the bottom hem, which I would have left off because it doesn't add much to the design. The bottom hem has 2 overlapping lines of lace. As you can see, the pink colourway has contrasting black lace, which I think works well. Then the wider lace underneath has a cute musical note design. The lace is cute and the quality is lovely.

This is the other JSK. The bodice on this dress also looks well fitted and I simply adore the sailor collar. The shape of the sailor collar is interesting and I am surprised by how well it works with the music themed print. The collar is finished with a satin bow, which I think is the perfect size to finish off the collar. As you would expect from satin, the bow is slightly shiny but it is not that bad. The ribbon is a nice shape and it is not floppy looking. The sailor collar is detachable, but I think the dress looks too plain without it. The bodice also has folds, which give it a bit of extra depth. My only dislike with the bodice is the ribbon criss-crossed down the front. It looks like the ribbon used is good quality and it is well spaced out, but it ends very abruptly at the waist. I think a nice black belt would look good with this dress. The back of the dress is very plain and there is no shirring. The skirt part seems to have a more exaggerated roundness to it when compared to the other dress. It is an OTT shape, but given the plainer looking print, it doesn't look too bad. This dress would also hold a lot of petticoat underneath. The skirt part on this dress is even plainer than the other dress in this series, so you can see the print in its full glory. The bottom hem is finished off with some good quality lace. As well as the musical notes, the lace on this dress also features tiny crowns, which looks very pretty.

Today, there is no print close-up because there wasn't a picture of one, but the print is very clear in the photos anyway. The dress comes in black, ivory and pink. I think that both the ivory and the pink look the best, but the ivory would probably be my absolute favourite because I like the idea of doing monotone lolita. I always thought that violins works best with a classic print, but AP have done a good job of making them this print look sweet. I don't quite understand why some of the violins are stripy. It doesn't look bad but I think it would be pretty if all the violins were solid instead of having the stripy ones alternating between the solid ones. I also like the floating musical notes. The print is a bit plain, but I think that was the intention.

This is the headbow. The stripes fit in nicely with the sailor themed dress, but still suits the musical theme too. I absolutely love the 3D music note. I like where it has been placed and also, the size. But I do wish it was slightly more visible.

The only part of the series I am unsure of is the bag. I love the book part, but the metal parts are not really my style. I don't like the way it has been made to look like a folder with the metal rings running along the top.

I think the socks are very cute. From the distance the musical lines make the socks look like stripes. Despite the music notes running and the violin on the side, I think these socks could be very versatile and would suit a lot of outfits.

So overall, I do like this series. I think I prefer the sailor dress and the ivory is the best colour, in my opinion. I think it would appeal to a wider audience rather than just the lolitas who love the typical AP stuff. However, despite this, I don't think this series is going to be that popular. I think it will have its fans but will not be that widely sought after. Would I buy from this series? Well, I do like it, but not enough to put it on my wishlist. It is something I would add to my wardrobe, but it is certainly not a top priority of mine to get this series.

A Day Without Lolita

I came to a realisation recently. As much as I love lolita, it takes over my day to day life. Every single day I check the EGL sales community, I watch discussions going on in lolita Facebook groups and I will use the word 'lolita' multiple times in conversations. I know the days that 2nd hand sellers put new stock on their websites, Saturday is Lolita Valentines day and the secrets come out on Sunday. But it is also creeping in to things that have absolutely nothing to do with lolita. I will be looking at clothes whilst out shopping and I will think 'the lace looks cheap on that', and the clothing will have absolutely nothing to do with lolita! It is like something automatically clicks in my brain and makes me look at everything as lolita shopping.

I can't actually remember the last time I had a day where I have not thought about lolita at all. Is this healthy? It sounds harder than people may think. When I went on holiday during the Summer, the internet connection was dodgy and I had none of my lolita clothes with me and at first, I will admit it was difficult to not think about what was going on online. However, by the end of the week I was able to fully relax and I had a great time. I was having fun with people close to me and I did a lot of fun things.

And now, I am absolutely convinced that imposing a lolita ban on myself every now and then is a good idea. It gives me the chance to spend quality time with the people I love outside of lolita rather than getting distracted. Also it is nice to not worry about my appearance! I wouldn't go for too long without lolita because then it would feel as if I was punishing myself for having something I am passionate about. But from time to time, I will have a day without lolita and I will learn to enjoy those days as well.

A sweet valentine thank you

A huge thank you to whoever posted the Oxfordshire Lolitas on Lolita Valentines today. The picture does not have any text, but it still means a lot to see us on there. That picture was taken at the first Oxfordshire Lolita meet (we don't count the smaller meeting we had the September before then) back in January this year. We will be holding our first anniversary meet in February and guess who is hosting it... me! (no pressure!)

http://loli-valentines.livejournal.com/108713.html?view=3114153 Here we are in number 11 of this post!

It is quite strange looking at that picture. Although a few of us look the same, some of us have changed radically in style since January! I would like to think that is because as time has gone on, some of us have become more confident with our style or have found a lolita style to fit our personalities.

I am so sad I am missing the Christmas meet this year! I hope my fellow Ox lolis have fun!