Review: Evil Live Heart of Valentine

A review after a long time. I bought one of the Heart of Valentine bags by Evil Live and since they are not so common here, I want to show you some detailed shots and talk about the whole process of ordering.

I was struggling with myself for quite some time over one of the Heart of Valentine bags. I liked the first edition very much but it was too big for me. The second edition (medium size) had the right size but I wasn't happy with spending so much money on a bag. When I got a raise at my work and saw the promotion, I decided to reward myself with an Evil Live bag. ^_^

On April 25th,  I asked for the 5% coupon code because they had a promotion at that time. You just had to like the Facebook page (I did this some time ago) and ask for the code. I didn't know they had a webshop at storenvy at that time, so I tried to gather all the information from their Korean blog. I wasn't sure about the price and stock, so I asked about this too and got answers very quickly. 130 USD for the bag and 35 USD for EMS shipping. My desired colors were both in stock so I only had to decide on a color. I was also told that I could get additional discount for buying more than one bag but I wanted to check on the quality first before I buy another bag that is quite expensive in my eyes :)
I put my information in the ordering form and sent it via facebook. I got a short notice that it was noticed.

On April 28th, I got the invoice:
$130 - 5% = $123 + $35 for shipping
I paid immediately and got a mail the bag was packed up the same day and would be sent out the day after.

On April 30th, I got a mail that she was sorry for being late and in the post office. She wanted to confirm my postcode again. I asked for the tracking number but I didn't really understand what she meant in her answer. The package should arrive in 4-5 days and I she would send the shipping number 4-5 times later. Hm..if the package arrives in such a short time, I don't need a tracking number at all :)

On May 10th, I received a letter from my local customs office, I had to get my package from there. Nothing new for me. The Monday after, May 12th, I fetched my bag at the customs office after paying around 17€ for it.

So the whole process took 18 days which is okay for me. Packages with customs clearance always take a bit longer to arrive. Unfortunately, I can't show you pictures of the package because I had to open it a the office and threw it away afterwards. It was a big box and the bag was wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap and was stuffed with newspapers.
Now pictures of the bag:
I chose misty cream (last one in stock hehe) because it matches most of the stuff I own. The other color I was thinking about was downy lavender. :)

This is how I got it. The color is not as shiny ivory as I wanted it to be, it's some greyish (misty ;D) shade of cream but it's pretty after all. It includes the bag and some additional straps to wear the bag as a backpack, shoulder or hand bag ♥ Very versatile!!


The backsides of the bows have marks, thats a bit ugly but not very visible when worn.

golden zip with hearts ♥
golden decorhearts

Although it was wrapped very good, there are some minor dents in the bag.



The inside is some soft grey fake suede, it looks very elegant. The bag has a zip and two extra pockets inside.

Another way to wear it as a handbag.

The package also included a business card and some sweets ^___^ I'm always happy when I get little presents as sweets.

So all in all I am very happy with my bag. It has much space and is simply beautiful. I will wear it both for normal and Lolita outfits, everybody has to see this bag. My mom loves it, too :D
So I can recommend this shop and bag if you want a spacious bag. There are many color options and even matte or shiny enmal versions!

Hope you find my review helpful, please let me know in the comment box ^_^

Review: The Floral Notebook - My Beloved Empress blouse (positive)

Some time ago, I found the indie brand "The Floral Notebook" (why does she just has 545 likes? The stuff is beautiful! Go and like!) from Vietnam on Facebook and fell in love with the chiffon blouses, especially the My Beloved Empress one.
You can make them custom-size and the range of colors to choose from is soooo wide! But for my Romantic Rose Letter coord I simply chose white.
So here is the ordering process:
Dec 22nd 2013 - wrote a private message on Facebook with my wishes
Dec 23rd 2013 - got message back with an order form (excel sheet) where I have to put in my measurements. Sent it back the same day
Dec 24th 2013 - got message that she can't connect to PayPal at the moment but she will already start with the blouse, it would take 7-10 days to finish
Dec 30th 2013 - got invoice and message that blouse was almost finished
Dec 31st 2013 - paid
Jan 4th 2014 (Sat) - blouse was done, she wanted to ship it out the next Monday
Jan 7th 2014 (Tue) - she messaged me that she forget the package and was terribly sorry for not sending it like she promised. Busy with school and so on. Would ship on friday. If I wanted, I could have gotten proof pics but didn't want to. I was not in a hurry to get the blouse so no problem for me ^^
Jan 10th 2014 (Fri) - she sent it and I got a tracking number
Jan  25th 2014 - blouse arrived safely at my home. It was already in Germany on the 18th but customs are sooo slow sometimes >_<

This is how the package looked like, a normal envelope. 

And inside the blouse was wrapped in a plastic bag.

And this is the blouse. I have to say, that it is quite long but I guess it's my fault because I gave the measurements like this but the blouse fits very nicely around the bust and waist (critical parts^^)

Please click for bigger view

The quality is very nice, the chiffonis soft and the seams are very accurate. No loose threads or something! Very professional! I paid USD 52 in total with shipping. That's a good price because it's even cutsom-size.

Conclusion:
All in all I have to say, that ordering from The Floral Notebook was very easy and the owner is a very nice and helpful girl. I will definitely keep an eye on their designs and buy from them again because the quality is also very good.

Review: SpreePicky / Sailor Moon Pullover

Not really Lolita related but the store also offers Lolita items, so I will post my review about SpreePicky. SpreePicky belongs to TaoBaoSpree, which is also the Taobao Shopping Service I trust.
On November 29th I bought the Sailor Moon sweater and paid via Paypal. It was $42.99 and because of a coupon code, I paid $38.70 in total.
It was a pre-order so the item was shipped on December 15th.
My friend who ordered it the same day got it on December 21st, I fetched it at my local custom office on January 2nd but that's not SpreePicky's fault.
It was in a SpreePicky shopping bag and in an bubble-wrapped envelope. I even got a small present, a hair tie and a 5% voucher for my next order.


It's onesize and pretty big. Oversized for casual/cute looks. It's really warm and cosy and I simple love it ♥

The print has some minor printing mistakes but I didn't expect a high-end quality product ;)


This is me wearing my new sweater.

I'm very satisfied with my order and the ordering process through SpreePicky. I definitely recommend their shop.

Tried & Tested: Selfmade Mermaid Hair Wig

Maybe some of you know Tried and Tested. It's a show from online television Clicknetwork.tv and Shu An, the host, tries out several products and gives points for it from 0 to 10. She is really funny and I love her show. That's why I chose the title :)
I tried a tutorial from makochat.at, a very cool Lolita blog. She made a tutorial about How to make a Mermaid hair wig by yourself. This interested me a lot. I already have two mermaid style wigs but I bought them. One is really nice, the other one is pretty shiny. I still had a black wig that I would not wear again, the curls were not visible anymore so before throwing it away, I wanted to try this.
First of all: my wig was not of very good quality. Not much hair but I wanted to try nevertheless. I wasn't even sure if the wig melts when I put hot water over it :D But everything worked out!

That's the wig when it was still new with some light curls. I wore it twice and after that I brushed it with a normal brush and yeah... it was destroyed ^^"  Unfortunately I forgot to make more pictures during the process, like the braids but I made them pretty small, so I had around 18? I lay the wig into a pot and then put the hot water over it. Wrapped it into a blanket and then let it dry over the night.

This morning I opened the first braid to see if it worked out and yes, It worked!  The wig was already dried and I opened the rest (left photo) I think bigger braids would have been prettier, the waves are really small. Right is when I brushed it with a wig-brush. I think I have to alter it a bit and brush it out more, looks very messy like this ^^"

So my conclusion: if you have a wig that needs a make-over and you like the mermaid style: Try this out! Next time, I will make bigger braids for bigger waved but I'm really satisfied with the result!

LolitaDesu Treasure Hunt

At the moment, Lolitadesu.com has a promotion called Treasure Hunt. Please visit the shop, it has a clearly arranged menu where you can find all the main and sub-categories easily. I've ordered a pair of socks from them some time ago and everything went smoothly and fast. I chose five of my favourite items from the shop


The Angelic Pretty E-Mook with the Sugary Carnival Tote Bag. I'd love to see whats inside and I heard the tote bag is of really good quality
Pearl Lace Jabot by AP It's really pretty for wearing under JSKs but also for casual/ daily styles.
Ansie Rose socks by Baby I looooove those sheer socks!! The effect is nice and at the moment I'm totally into light blue, so I chose them
Cross Neck Tiered JSK by IW Next to light blue, I'm super into red/dark red for Lolita. At the moment, I have four red dresses, still couting, haha. This dress is simple but has a strong classic feel.
Secret Garden Baretta by AP Again, sax color ^^" I chose it because I thought of coordinating it with my Rose Princess Doll JSK by Angelic Pretty which is also sax ^^" 

So, please visit their shop, maybe you find a dream item or something you have been looking for a long time. Their FAQ is helpful if there are still questions concering your order.

Lolita stuff I bought in April/ Antaina Review

I didn't get much in April, nothing to be honest because I ordered the following shoes in March and fetched them from customs today but I will count them for April ;D If not, the post would be empty.

 

I sent a mail on March 23rd to Yoyo, the international customer service. I got a reply the same day with the prices in USD dollar including my preferred shipping method (registered airmail).

After talking about sizes, I paid on March 26th and got a mail that they will inform me when the package was shipped. They said they need 10 working days to finish my shoes.

On April 15th I asked about an update of my order because I haven't heard from them since the end of March. April 17th, I got a mail back with the tracking number and a note that it was sent out on April 8th.

On Tuesday (April 30th) I got the a letter from customs and today I released them from there ;D

I was SHOCKED when the woman from customs gave me the package. It was a damaged shoe box with just a transparent plastic bag around it.

I already threw away the plastic bag.



Inside the box, everything was okay - phew!! After paying a small fee, I got my shoes and tried them on. I bought size 37 which is 23,5cm. The blue shoes fit totally fine, are even a bit too big and the pink shoes are a little bit too small but I think I can live with it. I measured the foot in-length and it's both 23cm (still 0,5cm too small from what they have to be) Maybe it's the cut that one fits and the other one doesn't? Two of my friends had the same problem with the pink shoes.

Both shoes look okay, the ribbons look a bit loose but are sewed on, I hope there will be no problem.
Some more pictures:








At the moment, I can't say it they are comfortable because I haven't worn them for more than a minute. But the heels are not that high, I will be ok ;D

For your interest, here are the original TaoBao links:
Pink shoes and Blue shoes. They look like the ones in the pictures, so no problem there. I paid 29,67 USD for a pair.

So all in all, my conclusion is mixed. The shoes are okay for the price but the customer service is not sooo good, the packaging could have been much better!! Measurements are not correct, like I said, friends of mine had the same problem. So better order a size bigger and if they are too big, you can use soles ^_^

Review: Rosaire's Shopping Service

I have bookmarked every shopping service for Japan I've found and I've need a special one (for instore shopping for example) I can look through them ^_~
Some time ago I found an egl advert for Rosaire's shopping service. She even has a facebook group, so I joined. There you are able to post your wishlist and if she finds the piece, she will tell you.
I was looking for the red Rose Toilette canotier by Angelic Pretty for more than 2,5 years now. So I just posted this and expected to answer in the near future but the same day, a girl from the US sent me a message that it is available in Closet Child Shinjuku. Lisa (Rosaire) also sent me a PM that she already bought it there because it was so cheap. She remembered my post and thought that this price would be okay for me.
This was totally okay for me :D I was so happy she bought it without a deposit. She sent me a proof picture the same day and asked about my preferred shipping method (registered airmail or EMS) I chose airmail because EMS shipping would have cost almost the same as the headdress itself. Some days later I paid and when she shipped everything out, I got the tracking number through Paypal. My experience with her was very positive because she offers a looking-for-wishlist-items-service and I found something rare through it in such a short time. ^-^ Here is my overall review:


Lisa's/ Rosaire's Shopping Service
Livejournal - Facebook


Where? Instore in Tokyo and Yokohama, online shops and auctions

Fees? Depending on the service you need (between 5 and 10%)

Times (she writes that the needs 2 weeks in general)

January 9 - she told me she bought the headdress I was looking for
January 12 - asked for my paypal address
January 19 - invoice sent
January 20 - paid
January 27 - sent the package
February 8 - package arrived

The headdress was 2.800 Yen and with fees and shipping I paid 5.506 Yen in total. So you see, almost half splitted in item and fees....When you read her fees, something "bothers" me. She wanta normal fee between 7-10% for instore shopping service which can be pretty much when you think of Lolita dresses for example and money for her time (420-500 yen) Why do I pay fees when I have to pay more fees for her time? That's already the lump-sum operating cost (had to look up this word...) for her time and her the service itself. That's something I don't understand and don't like. The time the whole process needed was pretty long but I didn't need the item so fast (I already waited so long :D), so no problem for me. The communication was very quick and nice, so nothing negative to say.


Finally ♥

Review: marianitacrds' in-store Shopping Service

Last week I saw two dresses at closet child Harajuku and a Lolita friend recommended this in-store shopping service. The fees seemed justified, her feedback was all positive, so I tried. I sent a mail on January 28th and got one back the next day. I said I wanted the one dress at first and if this is not available, please the other one. One dress wasn't there anymore, so she told me how much it would cost in total. She made a list with all the fees and shipping. I think that's good because sometimes it's hard to follow why an item became so expensive :D
I accepted and she invoiced me the same day and I paid in the evening. The third day in total she bought and even send it out. Today, it was in the mail!
You see, she is a very fast shopping service. The Lolita friend who told me about this service, had the same fast experience! I chose EMS shipping and it was wrapped in plastic in an EMS bag. Nothing to complain.
So here is my overall review:

Mariana's/ marianitacrds' in-store shopping service
Livejournal - Blog

Where? physical stores in Tokyo

Fees? 10% + 300 Yen for transportation

Times
January 28 - send request (it was after midnight in Japan, so she couldn't answer earlier ;D)
January 29 - got mail with availability of my items and total cost
January 29 - invoice sent and paid
January 30 - bought, sent
February 4 - item arrived

We had contact through email and you can see, everything worked out very fast ^_^ The item smelled very bad but that's not her fault.. it's 2nd hand, so you never know what you get :D I love that she doesn't do two payments, so the time between buying and sending out can be shortened. I will definitely use her again for in-store shopping in Tokyo!

By the way, this is what I got: Mary Magdalene Fleur Antoinette ♥

Review: Princess Mimi Chocolate Brown from shoppingholics.com

I'm always so sad when I have to throw my lenses away after a year. But I already bought new ones and although there are tons of reviews out there, I want to make one, too.
This time, I bought the Princess Mimi Chocolate Brown lenses, again from shoppingholics.com. They arrived pretty fast and this is what the package contents looked like. I ordered together with a friend of mine. Her lenses are on the picture, too.

With little presents again <3

Thats how they look unworn. Pretty much like in the picture on the website.

So now thats how they look worn and I have to say that they seem totally different in pictures than in reality. When I looked in the mirror the first time I wore them, I was shocked...I looked like a snake, really creepy.
They make your eyes "come out" pretty much. I was not sure if I liked them or not. But on pictures, they are pretty nice^^

detail shots


The whole look. I went to a Lolita meet-up with my girlgroup that day =)

So the concluding review:
Enlarging effect: 3/5 not that much but they give your eyes an effect, definitely!
Design: 2/5 not very flattering, I'd say
Comfort: 4/5 I always try not to wear my lenses for too long but they were pretty comfortable when I wore them^^

Review: Geo Angel Brown from shoppingholics.com

Yes, another review! I finally decided to buy a pair of brown lenses! I chose the Geo Angel Brown lenses from my trusted shop shoppingholics.com. For me, this is the "typical" style for circle lenses! They look more natural and really intensify your look!

This is my package! Lovely as always! Everything was packed in the lacey-plastic-bag! The lenses were in the box, then I got an eye patch mask and the lens case for free! And also a thank you note ♥

I don't think you can see a difference but on the right side, the lens is upside down.

Unfortunatly, I forgot a photo to compare with and without lens but here are my photo with the lenses worn!




Because of the Barbie lenses which are veeeery thin, I felt that these lenses were a bit uncomfortabke at first but then, I got used to it and they felt good after all!

Enlarging effekt: 3/5
Design: 3/5 Nothing special but good looking after all!
Comfort: 3/5 I took them out after 8 hours because my eyes were dry!

Overall nice contact lenses with enlarging effect that look a bit more natural! The price is very nice, too!

Review: Barbie Eye Diamond from shoppingholics.com

Another review - yay!
Because I wrote the last review, I got one pair of lenses for free! So awesome! I just wrote a mail to shoppingholics.com with the link and they asked me which pair of lenses I'd like to have!
Because I liked my Barbie Eyes Lace lenses a lot, I chose the Barbie Eyes Diamond lenses in violet!
The package came really fast and was well packed, just like the other one!

This time I got the cute Monster haha! And also an animal lens case! Thank you so much! Cute bears!


Daylight and without flash! Wearing Eyemazing lashes again! Love them ♥

And with flash!

I've worn them for like 8 around or sth and never felt them! Very comfortable!!

So overall:
Enlarging effekt: 4/5
Design: 5/5 I love the Diamond pattern!!!
Comfort: 5/5 so thin and comfortable!
Just like the other Barbie lenses!

Just can recommend Barbie Eye Circle lenses and of course shoppingholics.com!

Review: Barbie Eye Princess Lace from Shoppingholics.com

Yeah, finally a new post! But just a review *cough*
My old grey lenses are almost a year old now, so I needed new ones! I saw a review at The Makeup Piggy and totally fell for the lenses. I like that they are not exactly round but have the pretty lace effect *_* Unfortunately I don't have such a good camera but I hope you can see the effect they have in my pictures, too.
So it was my first time ordering from shoppingholics.com where they have the Barbie Eye Princess Lace Lenses. I took the brown ones, cause my natural color is brown-green, too.
Shipping was very quick and I got my lenses last week

This is how the package looked like (already opened)

And the contents. I was like: WHERE THE HECK ARE THE LENSES?????

Hm yeah, just take a closer look! The Barbie Eye lenses come in a cute animal box. Inside the head are the little bottles with the lenses!

Plus I got a cute green bear lens care, a face mask and a cute Thank You Card! So nice

with Flashlight

Looks so evil! I'm wearing Diamond Lash, too!

With and without flash

And two non closeup pics!



Just quick pictures for the review! I should post betterphotos when I style myself properly...

So overall:
Enlarging effekt: 4/5
Design: 5/5 I love the lace pattern!!!
Comfort: 5/5 so thin and comfortable!
At first I had problems with getting them in my eyes because they are so thin and big but with a bit exercise, it will go quicker, I think.

So:
I would definitely recommend shoppingholics.com and the Barbie Eye Princess Lace Lenses!