Miyoshi's Make-up Tutorial

I think this scan was originally from Zipper Magazine, but here is a tutorial from Miyoshi on how she does her lovely wide-eyed dolly make-up!



I can hardly wait to try this myself!

Claire's "Nailpolish Strips" Review

I am a huge fan of the nail polish strip fad. Instant fancy nails? No drying time? YES!

I've noticed that Claire's carried them, but I've been more than happy with the Sally Hansen ones, and after the awful results from the Sephora version, I've been hesitant.

However! I gave in when they released a design of polka dots, stripes, roses, mixed and all in one pack. I liked the idea of having mixed-print nails, so I took the plunge.

So firstly, the price and packaging: they run about 9.75$ Canadian, and come in a cute zip-lock bag with a cute nail file (which of course, I forgot to take a picture of).


The product itself: unlike the SH ones, these come in a sort of "sticker sheet". They were really hard to get off and onto my nail without tearing them. I ruined a few in the process. Luckily, you get 20 strips. They were also really thin, which made it hard to get them on smoothly without any creases. They didn't end up looking bad, as you can see from the above picture.


Two days later: the strips are bubbling and peeling, the edges are chipping off. I ended up taking them off because they looked so bad. I followed all instructions to a T (including adding a top coat).

Pros:
•Cute designs
•20 strips included, enough for two applications
•Inexpensive compared to other brands
•Easy to remove (literally peel off like stickers)

Cons:
•Hard to apply
•Needs a polish topcoat
•Doesn't last/not great quality

I think these are fine if you just want cute nails for a day (maybe a special event?), otherwise I wouldn't bother. I don't think I'll be purchasing them again. They are better than the Sephora ones for certain, but the overall cons outweigh the pros in this case.


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Dolly Suitable Nails? And a Bit of Nail Care.

I received a question a couple of days back, via a tumblr anon, as to what sort of nails/nail polish did I think work best with Dolly Kei.

To answer this simply: I really think anything can work. Whatever kind of nails you like! I do everything from plain red polish, to crazy hime nails with bows and whatnot. My nails are currently navy blue (OPI Russian Navy).


My personal preferences lean towards either red, or other dark colours. I also wear a lot of acrylics. I like my nails a little short too.

Some of my nails from the past:














Really, just have them however you like! I do suggest investing in a high quality polish though. The colour will last longer, and it will be more resistant to chipping. Top coats and base coats go a long way to protecting your colour as well.

My favorite nail polish brands are OPI/Nicole, Essie, China Glaze, Gosh and Sephora.

I have so much polish! But these are my main "go-tos" that I keep on my vanity (as you can see, I pretty much stick with red, green, blue and black):





Some surprisingly inexpensive selections where the quality is still pretty good:


From left to right: H&M $1.95, Forever 21 $3.95, Rimmel $5.95, and Sephora (mini) $7.

For acrylics, if I don't get them done professionally, I like the ones from "Icing". They last really well, they have a large selection, and they come in a wide range of lengths.

Something I can not stress enough: Let your nails "rest" between colours and acrylic sets. I'm really bad for not always doing this, but if I do back to back colour/fakes, I try to give my nails a full week "off" afterwards. Polish can stain your nails (Especially reds! But a base coat can help guard against this.), and acrylics can pit and warp your nails. During my nails "rest" period, I do plenty of moisturizing (I'll use an intense body butter), hand scrubs (I like Bath & Body's "just a minute" manicure scrub), and vitamin E treatments (Just break open a vitamin E caplet and massage it into your nails). Something I also like to do is to use a professional-grade polish remover, as this will reduce the amount of time your nails are soaking in acetone (which can lead to flakey and brittle nails/yellowing). Also make sure to rinse your hands off as soon as you're done and moisturize. When doing acrylics, also make sure to soak them off in remover, never pull them off!

What are some nail tricks for care or nail art that you guys use? Do you have any favorite brands that you swear by?


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Review: Sephora "Nail Patch" Art

I love cute nail art, and I love anything that makes having cute nails easier. Nail polish strips seem to be getting popular, and are available from a few cosmetics brands now, so I decided to give Sephora's offering a try.



Sephora's version retails for 12.99$ Canadian, and I choose them in "My Favorite Skirt", which is a black base with white polka dots. Really cute!


They come with enough for one application, and a good range of sizes. The instructions are also very clear. I will say though, there is a cheaper version from another company that comes with an orange stick and nail
file to help with the application.





The application was pretty simple, they peeled off easily and the application was fine so long as I took my time. The finish is really shiney, which is great, but I noticed some weird "puckering" around the polka dots once they were on.


Unfortunately, I started to have issues with them within an hour. The nail patch started to lift off of my nail near the cuticle, and I couldn't get it to stick down. The next day, the patches started to actually split and crack, and then chip. After three days, they looked like this:


All chipped off at the tip and cuticle. And on top of that, they're so hard to get off! You would think with how easily they broke off, it would be easy to remove them. Not. At. All. It took a good 30-45 minutes to remove these using professional grade nail polish remover. And I had to soak them in it.

Honestly, for the price I expected better. If you don't mind the price, they might be fine for a day. Realistically there are better options.

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Product Reviews: Nars "Outremer" single eyeshadow, Benefit "They're Real!" mascara, and Sephora's Eyeshadow Brush Wand

Remember this from my Autumn Wish List?



Well! I took a little trip to Sephora and now the Nars "Outremer" single eyeshadow is mine!






Above is Outremer with a light application. It's blue but subtle enough that I wore it to work and didn't get any crazy looks. But lots of compliments!






And when I came home from work, I did some experimenting with heavier applications. As you can see, the blue can be very vibrant. I wouldn't wear it this bright every day, but I plan on wearing it out over the weekend when I'm looking for a more dramatic look. I think the quality is good for the hefty price, and since it isn't something I'll wear everyday it'll last. Which I suppose is also something to consider, hahaha.

Quality wise, the eyeshadow is really pigmented and a little goes a long way. I worked an eight-hour work day and didn't have to touch it up at all


I'm forever on a quest for the perfect eyeliner. I think I've tried every kind in existence! Many kinds have come close, but never exactly perfect. I had been using a mixture of Bad Gal Lash (Benefit) and MAC Zoom Black. So when I saw this offering of "false lashes" from Benefit, I figured why not?



So my lashes without mascara. They're long, but light at the tips.



With the "They're Real!" mascara. The mascara is a nice, rich black and fully coats with ease. The brush has a funny little spiky end that you can use to separate your lashes. It also curled my lashes up a bit which was nice. I don't think it's really given me a "false lash" look, but it wears well and with some layering I think you could get a really dramatic look. I'll be sticking with this mascara!



While I was waiting in line, I noticed Sephora was offering up these eyeshadow brush wands. Each wand has four brushes, which connect with magnets. You get a crease, smudge, sponge and liner, so all the basics.



The brushes are nice and soft, the usual Sephora makeup brush in tiny form really. Very convenient for in your cosmetics bag for touch-ups or traveling.

So that's part one of my latest Sephora haul. Urban Decay and a couple of scent reviews coming up in the next week!

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Random Make-up Tutorials.

These are all Hime Gyaru/Gyaru make-up tutorials, but they're so cute and doll-faced, and can easily be adjusted for Dolly Kei and Lolita simply by not making the bottom lash lined so far from your water line (and avoiding any bronzer XD )Cute!















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Product Review: Claire's Gel Nail Artificial nails

I'm a big fan of artificial nails. It probably comes somewhat from my love of lolita. But I also think they can work well with Dolly Kei (and the girl's of Grimoire have been photographed wearing them, so :P).

Anyhow, I'm always on the lookout for new nails in new patterns and styles. I've seen the ones in Claires many times, but always avoided them. I gave in and bought these ones because the pattern was so pretty and delicate looking.

So I'm admitting right here: I pre-judged these nails. At 5.95$, I figured there was no way they were going to look as good, or last as long, as my 12$+ acrylic nails, or my 30$ nails when I get them done professionally. And I can admit: I WAS SO WRONG!

So the stats: the Claire's Gel Nails retail for around 5.95$. You get 24 nails in varying sizes (although I think these might not work for anyone with larger hands sadly), and bottle of Claire's brand "Pink" nail glue.



Pre-judement that turned out to false #1: The nails will be too long! NOT TRUE! The nails are actually the perfect size for my hands, not long at all. So no need to file them down to a "human" size and messing up the pattern in doing so.

Pre-judgement that turned out to be false #2: These nails are cheap! The glue will be crappy! ALSO NOT TRUE! I've had these on since Friday. They haven't popped off all through: various mannequin changing, wall system changes, carrying around loads of clothing, opening totes of clothing, laundry, dishes, tapping them on everything, texting, accidently hitting them on things and use of various cleaning products.

Taken Friday:


Pre-judgement that turned out to be false #3: These nails are cheap! They will chip and the colour/pattern will come off easily! NOT REMOTELY TRUE! Like I just said, I've had them on since Friday. The pattern looks as good as when I put them on, despite all the action they've been seeing. Not a bit of fade, chip or scratch to the pattern.

Taken today:


I'm really happy with these nails! I will definitely be buying them again. Despite their price being so low, they've proven superior over my usuals. And, they are far more comfortable to wear then the acrylics I usually get, and look more natural. Yay!

Decor, Lovely Finds, Harajuku Lovers "Lil Angel" Gothic Lolita Perfume review, Dolly Kei coordinate with a simple black dress.

Lots of things today, with many photos illustrating why I need to get my Nikon fixed and stop using my Blackberry phone camera.

So I had lovely surprise gift in the form of Gwen Stefani's "Harajuku Lovers" Brand perfume in "Lil Angel Gothic Lolita". Now, I'm a sugary scent sort of girl. I like things that smell sweet and border on candy-like. So I was very surprised to find the floral scent of this so appealing. It also isn't terribly strong or over-powering, so a huge thumbs up for that. "Lil Angel Gothic Lolita" is described as "a sparkling floral. Top notes are succulent plum, champagne, pomelo, bergamot. Mid notes are blooming lotuses, fresh queen rose leaf, waterlilies. Base notes are satin wood, rich amber, skin musks. The fragrance is signed by perfumer Céline Barel.". I can't say I smell the musk or wood notes at all (and I think that's a good thing). I wouldn't make this my everyday scent, but I think it's a nice change and I do think the scent is really lovely. And I mean, the bottle is adorable! It's nice if even it only serves as a vanity decoration, hehe. Retails for around 40-50$



Also given to me: These great antique skeleton keys! They're going to be necklaces. Right now they're serving as desk decor though.



I know it's close to Christmas, but that doesn't mean I can't buy myself presents:

Went to Wicker Emporium for their delerium-inducing 50% off sale. Splurged on a new tea cup (there was an entire set, including saucers, sugar bowl, creamer, teapot and tea caddy. I will be returning!) About 3.50$ on sale:



Also from Wicker Emporium, a lovely little handheld mirror that I couldn't pass up to save my life. Abou 5.99$ on sale:



And for a good cause, from Winners: This year the Canadian Women's Association are selling a delightful old-fashioned teddy bear, with all proceeds going to help women in need. I'm going to make him a little cravat and monocle. 14.95$



And...some Polyvore coordinating. I wanted to show what could be done with a very simple black dress, which is something most girls own of course.

Piano Virtuoso by MolotovCupcake featuring star jewelry