Changes to the Blog

Hey, gorgeous readers! I’m making a few changes to my blog. What? Why? It’s simple! I want to make this blog better and more consistent. I can’t do that if I post haphazardly all the time. It’s time to step up my game! 

Well, how am I going to do that? 

I’ve already started trying to improve this blog by overhauling the look and using more consistent images for posts. But looks aren’t everything, ya know. So now it’s time for me to improve the content.

Now I’ll be following a blog schedule! 

The blog schedule is to make sure that I have regular updates, and so if you’re only interest in certain updates, you only have to pop onto my blog on some days. (It’d be awesome if you pop by every time I post though!)

So without further ado, here’s my blog schedule. 

On Mondays I’ll enthral you with exciting updates of my adventurous life – No, not really. Actually I’ll just let you know what I’ve been up to through a mix of pictures and words. Adventure not guaranteed. (One day it will come guaranteed!)

Some days I don’t really want to be confined to a determined topic. Wednesdays are for talking about whatever I feel like. For the next few weeks though that topic will probably be Taobao and the perils of being plus size or... Dare I say it? Fat. 

On Thursdays expect for me to embrace my geeky side and talk about fun games and other things that you’ve probably never heard of. 

Hey, gaijin gals! This is the day for you. On Saturdays I’ll continue to talk about my gyaru research as I try to figure out where I’m going with my style. If you’re a newbie like me, join me as I try to figure it out. :D 

Of course I might still post randomly when I feel like it...

But these are days you should expect me to put up posts! I’m actually going to start writing posts in advance because I start work in December. This blog is going to be my exercise in discipline. :D 

I’ve got post ideas to last me for the next two months, so if I’m disciplined enough, expect posts every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday until the end of December. 

What do you think of these changes? Let me know what you think in the comments below or on Twitter! Although I do love love loooove comments! 

Love lots,

Taobao Order!

I'm so excited! I'm finally pushing through with my first Taobao order. Technically I've ordered from Taobao before, but this is the first time I'm the one who's dealing with the shopping service. The other times I've ordered anything, my friends were the ones who dealt with the service.

Anyway! This is just going to be a vain shallow post to show what I'm ordering. If you want something deep, just skip this one, I guess. If you want to get a feel for my taste, keep reading!

Oh, and I'm including a few links to the shops I ordered from!

Before we begin... 

Let me explain what Taobao is for the uninitiated! Basically it's like a great Chinese Ebay/Amazon/Rakuten/TradeMe. You've got individuals selling items (they have EVERYTHING), and you have businesses selling too. Some are handmade, and some are mass-produced. Okay, most are mass-produced.

Why should you care about Taobao? 

BECAUSE TAOBAO IS CHEAP.

If you factor in the fact that a) China sells cheap things and b) the exchange rate is most definitely in your favour, then all signs point to... Taobao = cheap = happy fashionista!

I'll go more in-depth about Taobao some other time, but for now note these things.

• Choose which shops you buy from carefully! Some are more reputable than others. 
• Don't forget to factor in shipping! If you live in an Asian country, your shipping is wayyy cheaper than shipping to Europe, Australia&New Zealand or to the Americas. 
• You need to use a shipping/shopping service unless you have a Chinese address! 
• Taobao has everything. EVERYTHING. 
• The website is in Mandarin Chinese (Or is it Cantonese...?). Unless you can read it, use Google Chrome for awesome translations! 
• If you need help, you can tweet me or ask for help on Tumblr. There are plenty of people who are infatuated with Taobao and would love to help you. :)

Okay, back to my selfish ways. 

Here are the things I'm ordering! 

Not all of the items I wanted to order were accepted. :( It makes me really sad, but oh well! I guess that gives me an excuse to try out a different shopping service!

If you know a shopping service, that gives a discount on shipping like Yoybuy does, let me know!

And here are my precious.

Beauty-related 

LR TB - Upper lashes, scarf (Nowhere else to put this...), brushes (YES!), lower lashes

Every gyaru needs a never-ending supply of lashes, right?! 

Well, I am ashamed to say I don't have any sets of lower lashes. :( I kept ruining mine while trying to figure it out. Then my cheap side came out and said "STOP BUYING THIS STUFF. IT'S EXPENSIVE." So I waited for a Taobao order to buy them in 'bulk'.

As for the brushes, I have a few already from my friend's Avon biz! But I wanted to have a complete set for cheap, so I thought I'd try buying some from this store because it had a great rating. (And it was cheap.)

I forgot what colour of scarf I ordered, so I shall be surprised when it arrives!

Jewellery 

 

The Hunger Games items aren't for me! I got them for a couple of friends for Christmas. :) (Plus I already have HG pins) I'm in love with the Superman ring, so I hope it fits my fingers! The necklace, I have no words for. It's just cute.

 As you can see, my tastes are pretty eclectic. One the one hand, I love punkish/rocker stuff, and I also love cute things, sophisticated items, whatever. It makes for a fun wardrobe but also one that may take time to work with. Ah well. C'est la vie!

I admit I went nuts with the jewellery! Maybe I'll come to my senses and not keep everything... In which case we could have an international giveaway coming up!

There are a couple of items I didn't showcase because it didn't fit my 2x2 picture format! (OCD much?)

Wigs

LR TB - Split wig, natural wig, natural with highlights, crazy super awesome w/ poofs

What do you think of these babies?! I am so keen to have them sitting in my room and most especially... On my head! I only have 3 wigs at the moment (one straight blonde, one cosplay and one cury split red and black), and of those I only wear one regularly.

These wigs will be a welcome addition to my life!

Okay, okay, enough about me and the beautiful things that will be coming into my life. Here's a little something for you!

Since I know Taobao can be a bit of a monster for first-timers...

You can have a look at a couple of links! This is just a teaser list really. I'll post a more comprehensive one some other time!

Check out these links!

To be honest, I don't know if the names I'm listing these shops under are correct, but the links are definitely right!

Vivian Wig 

This shop was recommended to me by a friend! They sell a variety of different styled wigs, but they focus on a more natural look. I doubt you'll find any crazy rainbow coloured or ombre-style hair in this shop. BUT you'll find a lot of gorgeous wigs for a more natural look.

Water Dance Lufthansa (水舞莎) 

I found this shop while I was on a taobao window shopping spree! I think I was desperately looking for wigs with gorgeous but unusual hair colours and styles (You know, so I can try different looks out without committing?!), then I stumbled upon this one! This is the shop that carries that fiesty purple-pink-rainbow-streaked pastel goth-esque wig from a couple of pictures back. 

Luosha Baby (洛莎宝贝)

If you love looking at cute cuddly things, you definitely want to pop by this shop! They have a fantastic selection of cute things like Rilakumma coats, pillows and plushies, among a lot of other things. I was planning to get a few items from here but the shopping service rejected it because Rilakumma is branded. :( Next time!

 

Caida Sanjiang (财达三江)

And if you're on this blog, you probably have a love affair with girly things. If that's the case, you might want to check out this shop since they offer a variety of goods like tights, leggings, hair accessories and jewellery. I went nuts in the jewellery section.

Those are the shops!  When I said a few links, I really did mean it, you know. ;)

So what do you think of my soon-to-be-very-own lovelies? Have you heard of Taobao before? Bought anything?

By the way, this post is linked to Loving Lately! The link will bring you to one of the hosts of this blog party, Glossy Blonde! :)

Let me know what you think in the comments below (or on Twitter since I'm addicted to that too!) 

P.S. Comments make my day! They really do!

Ane Style Guide

Whoa, it’s been a while since I last made an update for this series! Let’s make up for lost time with a look at the gyaru style ‘ane’. 

Unfamiliar with this style? Let’s picture it...

You see a lady – oh, you just know she’s a lady – standing with her friends. There’s a ferocity to her gaze and her looks tempered with hints of glamour and maturity. A tattoo adorns her bare shoulders, and her skin is the golden brown of a sun-kissed goddess. She’s beautiful and fierce, and she knows it. Don’t mess with her.

Sexy lady, foxy mama, rebellious star, do these descriptions suit you? Maybe you ought to start incorporating a bit of ane into your life!

Let’s see how to do just that.

I met Supernatural stars! [Armageddon Expo 2012]

Kia ora, everyone! I’ve been in a spectacular mood since Sunday when I went to partake in the geeky festivities that is the ArmageddonExpo. Let me tell you all about it! 

What is the Armageddon Expo though, you might ask? Are you familiar with Comic Con? It’s like New Zealand’s answer to US conventions. It’s four fun-filled and fantastic days where geekiness, pop culture, shopping, awesome costumes and people come together to make a crowded and spectacular thing. I’m making it sound really awesome. Please take my words with a grain of salt. I’m still on an emotional high.

WHY am I so happy? 

So this is life

When the Day is Over by EddyB

Hi there! Today's post is not going to be about gyaru, and it's not going to be about fashion, makeup, shopping or anything like that. Today's post is just going to be about... Well, my life.

I'm not going to try to trick you into staying, so only read of if you're really interested. :) There might be a couple of pictures, but it's mostly going to be text, text, text.

So let me tell you about my life right now! If you want to know more about me, this is the post to read.

Agejo style guide

Today we'll  be looking at the agejo style! If you're not familiar with this style, then take a moment to...

Picture a lady with fair skin and long curls. Her light brown hair towers above her head as if the higher it goes, the brighter her smile gets. Her cheeks are rosy, her lips light pink. She laughs at something said over the phone, and you notice it’s covered in rhinestones and tiny cute decorations. She’s in the sexiest outfit you’ve ever seen on someone in the daytime, but somehow there’s a hint of classiness you can’t ignore. Finally she flips her phone shut and saunters away. You can’t help but wonder… what’s her secret?

That is probably how I envision agejo in my gyaru fantasy land. For me, agejo evokes images of grandeur and sexiness with hints of class along with hair that could make Amy Winehouse jealous even in her grave. :D

Now let's take a look at what agejo has to offer!

GAL style under a microscope :: Different substyles – Intro Post

Heya! Recently I was inspired by Mitsu’s and Lizzie’s posts on personal style to look at my wardrobe and really figure out what kind of gyaru I wanted to be.

But as I was thinking about it, I realised omg I’m not even sure what kind of styles I could really get into! I had some general idea of what the different styles were all about, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to translate any of them into my own style or my own closet.

So who wants to join me on a post of style discovery? Let’s take a look at different substyles and see what’s key to the different looks.

Looks to be covered: Agejo, Ane, Hime-gyaru, Himekaji, Rokku, Mori, Onee-gyaru

Going Gyaru – With Shop Links [PICTURE HEAVY]

Let’s go window shopping!

Gyaru, gyaru, gyaru. It’s a style people love and hate. It’s a style where people can be utterly ruthless but also amazingly sweet. It’s a crazy kinda up and down loop-de-loop rollercoaster, and I want in on it. Do you want in too?

NOTE: This is an updated version of my previous post which you can see here!