Lolita Blog Carnival : Favorite Makeup Tips

Hello Lovelies~

 This week for Lolita Blog Carnival we bloggers are all talking about our favorite Makeup tips. I've done one or two of these over the years, but it never hurts to give more tips, so here we go!

 Are you an emotional crier like I am? Then this tip is for you!

Water proof Mascara and Eyeliner


It seems silly for this to be one of my tips, but I'll tell you, I don't cry often if ever, but when I do I tend to be surprised that I turn into Tammy Faye Baker!! Black/Blue/Purple/Brown/Gold Glitter....whatever I happen to be wearing that day will streak down my cheeks and then it really gets crazy....

 If you cry when emotions get to much, then make sure you check the packaging of the eye makeup you happen to be rocking to avoid a major melt down.


Another self explanatory tip, but one I recently had to deal with and am STILL dealing with...

 Never put any lotion/moisturiser that is not specifically made for your face.

I had a massage a week ago and in the middle of it, the massage therapist started giving me a facial massage! It shocked me that she would do that without my permission, but I let it go and just said I would wash my face when I got home.

 Lovelies....by the time I got home I was looking like a red spottie miss dottie. It was upsetting! Is upsetting, but it taught me a lesson.

Unless it's made for my face, it won't go on my face!


 Last, but not least, maybe the oddest tip, but one that I swear by! .....


  Web Cams are your friend    You know how we tend to put of make up on in the mirror and we look absolutely fantastic, but when we see ourselves in pictures we look bit...well...off.

One of the things I've started doing to make sure I look photo-fabulous is I now put my makeup on in my web cam. No one is watching of course, it's off, but I move my laptop in front of my mirror and turn the cam on.

The mirror lets me see what the world sees and the web cam lets me see what my make up will look like when translated in a digital way.

 It can seem a bit to much, but I find a mirror will show you what you want to see, it's almost magical that way, but a high def camera will show every flaw. Sometimes flaws are good. They keep us from floating away into an unrealistic world where everything revolves around us and ice cream is always free, but most times, they are avoidable and completely fix able.


Please read the other make up tips from the other lovely bloggers!

Sweetlolitadoll

2tspofsugar

Commercially Alternative

Good Morning Lovely

Lolita Poupee

Parfaitdoll

Sidhe Banshee

My October Glam Bag/ Ipsy Bag!

Hello Lovelies~

 Yesterday I received my October Glam/Ipsy bag and I was blown away! October was defiantly the right month to be an Ipsy Girl.

This months theme was 'Bombshell' and let me tell you, I certainly feel like one, especially since my hair is blonder now. Lol ^_~

First picture is of the bag. I really like the POP of red pleather on top of the clean black and white pattern. It reminds me of old Hollywood and the bombshell women of the time. Marilyn Monroe is the first to spring to my mind.

 Simple. Elegant. Mysterious.

Those were my thoughts upon seeing this makeup bag.

Next is my favorite piece of the collection.

 I was so pleased to see this lip color when I unzipped my bag, you have NO idea. I have been looking high and low for a good red gloss/stick that doesn't make me look like a clown. Usually the color is to Lipstick Red or so dark it borders on Burgundy. Nothing has ever been a 'BAM' Red, but my search is over!!!

The flash doesn't do this shade justice. It's a beautiful deep blood red color. This is the color you see in magazine adds. The color you always imagine woman in the 30's and 40's wearing with perfectly swirled hair and pencil skirts. Very 'Mad Men'  'esque.


Next is a simple black eyeliner, which is essential for any bombshell when looking her best. This one is a nice felt pen and I look forward to trying it out. I'll let you know what I think when I do.

I also received a tube of 'Boost Your Body' mascara, which promises the lashes of your dreams and a the pony you never got as a child. ...Personally I'm sceptical. But I look forward to trying this one out as well.

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Funny story. About a year ago, around this time of year, I happened to run out of my favorite mascara. I was out shopping and happened to say, 'If I get nothing else while out today, I must get some mascara. I can't believe I ran out. Who runs out of Mascara!'...well lovelies...someone must've been listening because I did happen to get mascara that day, though I didn't realize it at the time as I got it in a gift with purchase, but as of right now, I am the proud owner of 28 different mascaras... not including the duplicates.

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Ok, so the next item is a Shine and Smoothness booster for your hair. It says a small amount worked into wet hair, then blow dried or let the air dry will tame frizz and fly aways and keep your hair shiny and smooth all day.

Finally, we come to the eye shadows! As you can see below, I received four colors. Red, Green, Purple, and White. I swear, as I was doing the color tests I kept thinking how a bit of gold eyeliner would enhance the palette.

These colors have some nice shine to them and thus picked up the flash pretty good. From left to right we have, 'Vibrant Red', 'Raisin Berry', 'Frosty Taupe', and 'Vanilla Sky'.  The Vanilla Sky color wasn't showing up well on my skin, so I mixed it with a bit of the Vibrant Red to make a light pink color. Of the four, I like the Purple shade the best.

 So there is is! My October Glam Bag/ Ipsy bag. I can't wait for November. I hope we get some golds and earthy colors, you know, like the colors of Autumn leaves.

Thanks for reading!

Snap to it!

Hello Lovelies~

 I recently found my phone which has most of my pictures on it! So today I thought I'd share them with all of you ^_^

I love this skirt! It was really easy to make and works well with my Fall styles.

I just got these awesome new shoes and while they hurt to walk in a bit because they haven't been stretched out well, they are super cute! They remind me of small rocking horse shoes!

The tiny butterfly on the side is one of my favorite parts!

The same day I got my new shoes, I got my hair colored. Above is a picture of it before. Simple, blonde -ish, and only one color.... And below....

I got Highlights!!! Lol I love my hair now.  (Isn't it amazing that from one picture to the other I look more put together due to a bit of make up?)

Outfit shot!

I found this necklace in a thrift shop for $2.00. Awesome huh!

3 Trends I Just Can't Get Into

Hello Lovelies~

  Do you enjoy a good pair of pearl or rhinestone cat ears? Or how about a cute royal wallpaper stripped maxi dress? Or what about false nails?

This week for Lolita Blog Carnival the theme was 'The Three Trends You could Never Get Into', and I had some difficulty trying to define what was a trend and what had stuck around and become common place.

 We all enjoy different trends that sweep in from season to season but, then again, we all have trends that we just can't see ourselves wearing, or when we do we laugh and promise ourselves to never wear or do whatever we happen to have tried again.

This year I have toyed with various passing fancies and I thought I'd share the few trends that just didn't stick with me.


                                             Radical False Eyelashes

False Eyelashes are fun and great for dazzling photos, but over the last year they have been popping up in more and more mild to fancy everyday wear. I even bought a pair of relatively tame ones with long feathers at the ends and rhinestones on the eye line, but after a bit... a while.....ok...an hour! (I really suck at applying false eyelashes.) When they were finally dry....well....let's just say I didn't take pictures. Lol ^_^

 So instead, here are some pictures of the amazing radical false eyelashes I will never wear because I look absolutely silly!

                                                       Hi-Lo

This trend was really big in the spring and summer and to tell the truth, I'm glad to see it fade out as the weather get colder.

 The Hi-Lo trend is hard to pull off. The fabric has to be right, the length has to be right, and the person wearing it has to be the right height, of which I am not!

In my personal opinion, The right heights to wear this style is 4'10 - 5'4 and 5'9 - 5'11. If you are between these heights, the angles don't fall right and even with good heels, I think the legs still look short, even though the whole point is to show off your shoes and a good stretch of leg.

 While this style was more big for the Gal and Gyaru scene than it was for the Lolita scene, though Meta might have released a dress along those lines....not sure. It's still a trend I just can't seem to get into.

Below are a few pictures on the best representations I could find.

                                                   Real to Life Prints  

I like the look of these pieces, The Library dress is stunning, but as a curvy girl....I just can't see wearing a giant painting of Jesus stretched across my chest or Marie Antoinette across my bum. Juliette et Justine has been producing these beautiful prints for about a year or so. They are what I like to call, 'Real to Life' Prints due to the fact they aren't drawn, but rather prints of actual paintings or close enough to the real thing.

 While Juliette et Justine was the first company to start doing this, I have seen a few other off the beaten path type brands put out prints similar. Milk released a pink number with Persian kitten faces around the skirt somewhere in early July. While this isn't a sweeping trend, it is gaining more popularity and sadly, it's not something I'll ever see myself getting into.

On a slightly different note, aren't these prints fantastic?

So, those are the three trends I just can't see myself jumping into, not that they are bad per say, just not for me. Make sure you check out the other wonderful Blog posts from the other LBC girls.

Rainbow Star Candy

ABC-Lolita

Fantasia Dollhouse Diaries

Xylia-x

Make Lovely

F-Yeah Lolita

XStarrydreamsX

A-Lace-Jail

Laurita

Lolita Cor-de-Rosa

Lolita Poupee

Pop Princess

Ramble Rori

Darkly Darling


 Thanks for reading!!

Make up Monday : Lancome Juicy Tubes

Hello Lovelies~

 Last week I talked about how much I love a good lip gloss and that I never leave home without some on me. This week I want to show you my favorite color.


 This is Lancome's Juicy Tubes lip color in 'Coral Rush'. It's a wonderful light nude pink color with just the right amount of sparkle.

The gloss is smooth and not as sticky as some glosses. The best part about this gloss is that it smells like Watermelons and has a light sweet taste, not the I recommend actually eating it.

Price: $18.00
Quality: 4-5  It's a really nice gloss, but it wears thin and gets gummy after a few hours. Which is an odd combination.

Want: YES!
  I will totally buy this product again. I really love the silky feel of it and enjoy the various colors. The next color I want is 'Fruity Pop'.

Here is a picture of the color worn.

Lolita Blog Carnival : Design an Outfit for Under $100

Hello Lovelies~

 I recently joined a fun new blogging circle called 'Lolita Blog Carnival' and each week we will be creating a fun and interesting post about a voted upon subject, then on a certain day, we will all post around the same time.

This weeks challenge was to create an outfit you could shop/buy right now, for under a hundred dollars. It was fun and interesting! I loved getting to show off some of the clothes I am always dreaming about, but the hardest part was keeping it under $100. I'll be honest, I didn't make it, my cord is over, but not by much, so lets jump right in and take a look at it ^_^ 

With the holiday season upon up, I thought I'd go with a dress that is both Lolita and good for fancy parties or family gatherings. I went with this beautiful black velvet dress from Infanta. It has all the elegance of a Hime Lolita outfit with all of the wow factor of a well done party dress. Even my unsupportive family can't find fault with it, thus, this is my recommendation to anyone trying to ease their family into accepting they fashion choices.

 PRICE: $81

Shop this dress HERE

I debated whether or not to do tights with this dress. It is fine when on it's own, but I figured it is going to be a cold winter and I wouldn't want my legs exposed to the elements, so tights it is!

 I chose these tights for their rose pattern and no other reason. I think the rose design will look really good with the embroidery on the dress and compliment the lace around the bottom well.

PRICE: $10

 Shop these tights HERE

Next let's talk shoes.

 In the winter flats and low heels aren't good. They keep you to close to the ground and practically invite water to soak your socks, or tights, or what have you. Most would just wear boots to circumvent this from happening, but  my solution to this is a higher chunk heel or a wedge.

The platform keeps you away from the cold and wet, while the open format still displays your whole leg.

 Leather is better in cold weather. ...Yes. I just did that.

When choosing shoes for snow or wet conditions, always go with a shoe that can be easily whipped down. Suede or velvet shoes are dazzling and fantastic, but Suede will ruin when water is applied and Velvet won't dry forever!

PRICE: $24

 Shop these shoes HERE



Ok! The basic outfit's final price tag is...........$115!

 Not terrible, but not under $100 either. So while I'm already over, let's add a last touch.


 This one is a bit different. I found it on Etsy and fell in love with the idea. I currently have her doing a statement piece for me for my own holiday outfits.

For a low price of $30 'Sweetmildred' will make you a custom floral hair accessory. Just send her a picture of the dress you'd like her to match.

 Below are a few examples of her work. Please note, these are her examples, not mine.

PRICE: $30 + shipping

 Shop for this HERE

I hope you liked my Cord. Make sure you check out all of the other wonderful outfits created by our participating members!


Her Lumpiness

F-Yeah Lolita

Parfaitdoll

Darkly Darling

Ramble Rori

Starry Dreams

A-Lace-Jail

Magic A la Mode

Puppenschloss

Makeup Monday

Hello Lovelies~

    Summer has ended and Fall is here! Luckily there won't be to many more days of high temps to melt our carefully applies make up, but that doesn't mean we're safe from makeup melt downs. In the fall the weather cools and it is important to keep your EMK handy.

What is an EMK you ask? Well an EMK is an Emergency Makeup Kit. This is a small makeup bag containing a dry powder compress, mascara, hydrating lipstick or gloss, blotting sheets, and a small bottle of hand lotion.

  Don't worry about adding eyeshadow or blush to your EMK, this is not a substitute for a full makeup bag or doing your makeup at home. This is a small kit that can fit in any purse and is for quick fixes or touch ups.

But if an EMK is to big for your date night, here is an even smaller kit  that will fit in even the smallest of purses. I call this my Last Resort.

 Lip gloss, Mascara, Blotting Sheets.

I always have these things in my purse, but I was surprised to find that a lot of people don't. These three things should be on your 'Never Leave Home Without' checklist, but if you don't carry anything else carry your Lip gloss or Lipstick with you.

 This is the one beauty tip I will swear buy. In fact, I never leave the house without my lip gloss. I have it with me on the floor at work for quick touch ups and once my clear gloss even fixed a badly broken nail. It was just sticky enough to hold the nail in place while I dried it under a hand drier and it stayed all the way until I got home and could fix it properly.

Lip gloss is your friend.

 Next Monday I'll show you pictures of my EMK, but I have to find my camera first ^_^;

Thanks for Reading!  

My First Book!

Hello Lovelies~

  As a few of you know, I've been really busy since my birthday with various projects of this and that. I small deco tutorial, a few beauty reviews, and I wrote a book.

o.o...

 What was that? Could it be? Why yes!!! Lol It could be! ^_^ I wrote my first book and published it on my birthday. I purchased two sample copies and am so pleased with how they turned out!!

As you can see, the book is called, 'Beginning Your Lolita Journey'. It's 34 pages long and consists of the 10 steps I feel are most important when starting out in Lolita. I have been in this fashion for a long time and I've seen things come and go. But these steps are simple, cut and dry. 10 steps to Lolita. It does not cover where to buy clothes or the breakdown of clothing pieces. There are plenty of sites that have talked about all of that into the ground.

 This is a book for girls just getting into the fashion who don't know where to start. Who feel a bit over whelmed and want a bit of guidance.

It may not be for everyone, these are my opinions on how to go about finding your footing in the large world of Loli, but if you look at it, This book could be titled, 'Beginning Your ( Insert any fashion style here) Journey', and the rules would still apply.

 Whether you're Lolita, Mori, Gal, Hime, Gyaru, or Otome, and still haven't found your way, this book is for you.

I even made it plain black and white on the cover so you can personalize it, because fashion is personal. No two people will wear the same outfit exactly the same way, unless it's planned that way, so what should everyone on different paths read read from a book that's all the same.

 A Pink and deco'd book wouldn't suit a Gothic girl, and a book with Black lace and red crosses wouldn't suit a Classic girl. We are all different, so celebrate it!

You can buy a copy of my book here ----->  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3510018

 Thanks for reading for so long you guys. This wouldn't be possible without all of you.


 

A Tasty Experiment in the Kitchen!

Hello Lovelies~

   I know when I normally do food posts I do them on Fridays, but this post just couldn't wait a few extra days, it had to be shared now.  

 So!!!

 I was sitting around, reading and watching T.V. last night when my mom came into the living room and said, 'Hey! You know what would be a yummy idea? An Earl Grey Cake.'

My immediate reaction was something along the lines of , O.O.....yes please.

 So we tossed a few ideas back and forth and looked around the kitchen to see what we had and if we could possibly pull this amazing idea off and low and behold, we happened to have everything we needed!

We used a simple white cake and rather than water, we used hot tea. I would recommend cooling you tea before hand, but this was an experiment and we didn't, so it was only after we added the hot tea that the idea of the tea cooking the eggs hit us, so we put the batter in the freezer to cool for a bit.

The tea turned the batter a beautiful soft almond color. It was so pretty to see, but it also thickened a bit in the freezer so if you try this at home, be warned.

 After it baked and we let it cool I frosted it with pink lemonade frosting and large chocolate flowers on top. It was rather fun to do.

My flowers look so wonky ^_^; Lol I'll have to bake more to practice more!

The cake ended up being soft and very light. The taste and just enough tea flavor to pair well with the sweetness of the frosting, but I think that next time I make it, I'll use whipped cream with lemon zest as the frosting to let the cake be the start of the desert like it should be.

  For my next adventure, I think I'll try to infuse a Chocolate cake with Earl Grey and create a lavender frosting.

Happy Baking Everyone~~~!!!!

Goodbye Summer. Hello Fall!

Hello Lovelies~

 It's that time of year again. Time to bid a fond farewell to the balmy and often scorching months of summer and welcome Autumn with open arms. Time to stop going to pools and go apple picking instead. Time to bake pies and start making hot chocolate mix for those cold evenings of star gazing.

I am so excited for fall! It's my favorite season. I love watching the leaves turn different colors. I love warm apple cider that seems to magically appear on menus everywhere by the second week of September. And most of all, I love the Fashion that fall brings!

 In fall we get to break out our cute capes for a bit of extra warmth, cute scarves and mittens begin to appear on shelves and who doesn't love a good knee high boot?  This is the season where the layered look is in, plaid or tartan prints dominate, and adding a bit of fur trim to a coat or purse is just what the doctor ordered!

Classic Lolitas should rejoice because Autumn is the season when designers turn towards more refined colors such as Dusty Rose or Sage Green. Creams, Chocolate and Blues the color of the sky just before a gentle rain shower can also be seen making their presence known and occasionally, one will see a shy muted lavender color creep it's way into a collection.
 
 September is a time for change. Just like the leaves on the trees, we two should start to evolve and change. This is the season to try a new style like Classic or even Gothic!

I think I may try a Gothic look this year. I saw a girl at work the other day in a beautiful floor length black lace bustle dress with a veil and roses in her hair and everything. She made me want to wear something like that, so even if it's just for one or two outfits, I'm going to try it out ^_^

  Can't you just see it? An elegant black dress, long black veil, one pure white rose cupped in smooth red dipped nails, surrounded by white snow....

 What will you try? Have you always wanted to give Decora a try? Or what about Pirate? Fall is a great time for Pirate Lolita's to unite!

But hold on!

 If you want to try a new style, it doesn't have to be regulated to Lolita. How about giving Mori Girl a try?

'Mori' means Forest in Japanese, so to be a Mori girl would mean being a girl of the forest. layers are key for this look, as well as muted colors and different textures.

 Here are some pictures to show you what I'm talking about....

How romantic is this style? If I liked being outside for long stretches of time, I would so be into aspects of this fashion. But as it is, I just love to look at it.

 What are you looking forward to this year? Is it apple picking with friends? Pumpkin picking with family? Making a pair of DIY bunny slippers to roam around the house in?

Well, whatever it is, Happy Fall!