Hello everyone! So recently I realized I have a lot of makeup. A LOT of makeup that I hardly ever use. Why do I have a lot of makeup I don't use? Impulse buys. So today I'm going to talk a little bit about what YOU can do to avoid having the same problem I do as well as what I'm planning on doing with said makeup. So let's go through some tips for avoiding accumulating makeup you don't use.
#1: Am I really going to use this?
So first things first: Are you actually going to use this? I'm not talking about if you think you could probably use this with something you don't really have yet, I mean would you wear this right now or tomorrow? One of the main mistakes I've made buying makeup is that I've bought it because I had a vague idea of what I was going to do with it. I bought a bunch of odd lip colors just for the sake of having odd lip colors. I bought some waterproof makeup just in case I ended up at the pool. I didn't have specific plans in mind for any of it. I was pretty much just collecting it.
#2: Do I already have this or a similar color?
Another mistake I made was buying multiple items that were essentially the same color. I have entirely too many hot pink lip colors that look pretty much the same. This is also a problem if you, like me, go through a phase where you really like a color, then a few months later you never use it. The only time I would recommend getting multiples of the same color would be if you have a matte lip color and a semi-sheer gloss in the same color. Otherwise, try and get shades that are different, like with red having cherry red, a deep red, and a brownish blood red is fine, but having five different brands of cherry red lipsticks with the same finish is not a good idea.
So what do you do if you have a ton of makeup that you don't really use? If it hasn't been opened or used, you can always try and sell it or give it away to a friend. If it has been used though, try and do something creative to use it up. If you normally wear fairly laid back makeup, try adding some colored eye shadow or some lip color to your day to day makeup. Or, if you just have no idea what to do with it all, start doing over the top makeup looks. A few that I like on YouTube are LawlFactory's Periwinkle Fairy and Colorful Medley Makeup as well as Princess Preculiar's Dreamling Makeup. And remember, you can use the same product multiple ways, like lipstick for blush. I'm planning on doing some makeup tutorials myself to post on YouTube once I get the chance to get a mirror and figure out a good place to record stuff. :3
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Saturday, August 29, 2015
Saturday, August 22, 2015
First Impressions: Yona of the Dawn
Hello everyone! Here today with another anime first impressions, today on Yona of the Dawn.
So a while ago while I was watching random YouTube videos, I saw a video add for Yona of the Dawn, an anime I'd never heard of before. The add seemed more interesting than most online ads I see, so I decided to try watching the show on Crunchyroll. Let me just say, there was much confuzzlement to be had. The storyline jumps around to two different times in the first episode, then back to the first in the second, and was overall nonsensical in its layout. I was a little surprised because I expected it to be similar to some animes and mangas where it shows the main character being all awesome, go "I wasn't always like this," then go on to explain story up until that point in time. So needless to say having the first episode go from the "I wasn't always like this," to the beginning of the back story, then back to the awesome older self all in one episode kinda threw me off. And I'm pretty sure there were some flashbacks in there too (it's been a little while since I watched it). After the initial confusion of the first episode, the story went back to filling in more of the back story of the main character. To summarize the episodes I watched (in time order as opposed to episode order), Yona, a little princess, grew up with two guys who were like brothers to her, she has a crush on one, they get older. Once they're older, they start talking about marriage arrangements while they're all over to celebrate Yona's coming of age birthday celebration. That night, treachery takes place, Yona's father's murdered by her crush who blames him for *his* dad's death, he decides it's a good idea to kill her since she walked in on the murder, second childhood friend, now the captain of the guard, saves Yona and they run away. Yona is now depressed and doesn't know what to do. *Giant blank space where stuff presumably happens in future episodes* Yona's a boss, has a lotta boss friends, is fighting some army. Winning ensues.
So, I wasn't really pulled in by the story I've seen so far on this show, so I decided to stop watching it and move on to other animes. I have done a terrible job of explaining (mainly because I was confused as heck) and still am not sure what genera of anime it falls under (Maybe shounen?). If you like animes with confusing pilot episodes, this is the anime for you!
Check me out on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Take a look at my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Stalk my (rarely updated) Twitter: @animlolicouture
So a while ago while I was watching random YouTube videos, I saw a video add for Yona of the Dawn, an anime I'd never heard of before. The add seemed more interesting than most online ads I see, so I decided to try watching the show on Crunchyroll. Let me just say, there was much confuzzlement to be had. The storyline jumps around to two different times in the first episode, then back to the first in the second, and was overall nonsensical in its layout. I was a little surprised because I expected it to be similar to some animes and mangas where it shows the main character being all awesome, go "I wasn't always like this," then go on to explain story up until that point in time. So needless to say having the first episode go from the "I wasn't always like this," to the beginning of the back story, then back to the awesome older self all in one episode kinda threw me off. And I'm pretty sure there were some flashbacks in there too (it's been a little while since I watched it). After the initial confusion of the first episode, the story went back to filling in more of the back story of the main character. To summarize the episodes I watched (in time order as opposed to episode order), Yona, a little princess, grew up with two guys who were like brothers to her, she has a crush on one, they get older. Once they're older, they start talking about marriage arrangements while they're all over to celebrate Yona's coming of age birthday celebration. That night, treachery takes place, Yona's father's murdered by her crush who blames him for *his* dad's death, he decides it's a good idea to kill her since she walked in on the murder, second childhood friend, now the captain of the guard, saves Yona and they run away. Yona is now depressed and doesn't know what to do. *Giant blank space where stuff presumably happens in future episodes* Yona's a boss, has a lotta boss friends, is fighting some army. Winning ensues.
So, I wasn't really pulled in by the story I've seen so far on this show, so I decided to stop watching it and move on to other animes. I have done a terrible job of explaining (mainly because I was confused as heck) and still am not sure what genera of anime it falls under (Maybe shounen?). If you like animes with confusing pilot episodes, this is the anime for you!
Check me out on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Take a look at my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Stalk my (rarely updated) Twitter: @animlolicouture
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Bodyline Wig Review
Hello everyone! A while ago I got two wigs from Bodyline (my first wig purchase from them), so I decided to write a bit about them. I'm sorry there aren't any pictures, but I've been having a little trouble uploading pictures for my blog posts lately (thus the reason they've mostly been text). So let's get started!
So for a while, I've been wanting to get a couple different styles of wigs to wear with Fairy Kei, so I decided to get a couple from Bodyline since I was already planning on making an order with some other items. Price wise, Bodyline's wigs are surprisingly inexpensive. Prices range from about $10-20 USD (after converting the page to yen for the cheaper prices) for short and longer wigs without attachments. Wigs with clip in ponytails (which seem to be a Lolita staple anymore) aren't that much more coming in at a bit under $30 USD and clip on ponytails by themselves are typically around $8 USD. Bodyline also offers plastic wig stands and wig caps for a bit under a dollar each. For variety, there's a good choice of colors for all of the wigs, but the ones intended for Lolita only come in natural colors while most of the cosplay ones come in a variety of natural and unnatural colors.
Quality-wise, Bodyline's wigs are surprisingly good for the price. Seeing as how most cheap Halloween wigs cost about the same as Bodyline's wigs, I was a little worried about quality. Fortunately, the wigs are made with uniform fiber sizes (as opposed to the large, scratchy fibers hidden under smaller fibers typically found in Halloween wigs) and feel nice and soft. The fibers aren't overly shiny or plastic looking at all. The overall amount of wig fibers on the wig is a little sparse compared to some more expensive wigs and the underlying wefts and cap can be seen a little bit if the hairs aren't positioned right. Both the wigs I got were lighter colors, so this may be a bit less of a problem with darker colored wigs. However, with normal wear the underlying wefts and cap showing through shouldn't be a problem as long as the wig's styled properly before wear.
Overall, I would have to say I'm pretty darn impressed with Bodyline's wig's quality and price and definitely plan on buying more from them in the future. For reference, the wigs I got were W014 in purple 3 and W175 in separate 5-10. In addition to the wigs, I also got a wig cap and stand from Bodyline. The wig cap was open topped and works pretty well, but the elastic band on the bottom is rather thin and kinda weak compared to a mesh wig cap I got at Sally's Beauty Supply. I probably won't be ordering any more wig caps from Bodyline and wouldn't recommend getting one unless you're unable to get a better one from a beauty supply store. The wig stand's a little flimsy, but is overall good quality and easily stays upright even with a longer wig on it (with the ends hanging off the edge of the surface it's on). I'm glad I got it as it makes detangling my wigs easier than it was with my stand-less styrofoam head. I would highly recommend getting at least one of these for detangling purposes, but would still recommend getting a styrofoam head for storing or displaying styled wigs as it's a bit smaller in overall diameter.
Check out my Storenvy: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Make sure to check out my Facebook page too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
So for a while, I've been wanting to get a couple different styles of wigs to wear with Fairy Kei, so I decided to get a couple from Bodyline since I was already planning on making an order with some other items. Price wise, Bodyline's wigs are surprisingly inexpensive. Prices range from about $10-20 USD (after converting the page to yen for the cheaper prices) for short and longer wigs without attachments. Wigs with clip in ponytails (which seem to be a Lolita staple anymore) aren't that much more coming in at a bit under $30 USD and clip on ponytails by themselves are typically around $8 USD. Bodyline also offers plastic wig stands and wig caps for a bit under a dollar each. For variety, there's a good choice of colors for all of the wigs, but the ones intended for Lolita only come in natural colors while most of the cosplay ones come in a variety of natural and unnatural colors.
Quality-wise, Bodyline's wigs are surprisingly good for the price. Seeing as how most cheap Halloween wigs cost about the same as Bodyline's wigs, I was a little worried about quality. Fortunately, the wigs are made with uniform fiber sizes (as opposed to the large, scratchy fibers hidden under smaller fibers typically found in Halloween wigs) and feel nice and soft. The fibers aren't overly shiny or plastic looking at all. The overall amount of wig fibers on the wig is a little sparse compared to some more expensive wigs and the underlying wefts and cap can be seen a little bit if the hairs aren't positioned right. Both the wigs I got were lighter colors, so this may be a bit less of a problem with darker colored wigs. However, with normal wear the underlying wefts and cap showing through shouldn't be a problem as long as the wig's styled properly before wear.
Overall, I would have to say I'm pretty darn impressed with Bodyline's wig's quality and price and definitely plan on buying more from them in the future. For reference, the wigs I got were W014 in purple 3 and W175 in separate 5-10. In addition to the wigs, I also got a wig cap and stand from Bodyline. The wig cap was open topped and works pretty well, but the elastic band on the bottom is rather thin and kinda weak compared to a mesh wig cap I got at Sally's Beauty Supply. I probably won't be ordering any more wig caps from Bodyline and wouldn't recommend getting one unless you're unable to get a better one from a beauty supply store. The wig stand's a little flimsy, but is overall good quality and easily stays upright even with a longer wig on it (with the ends hanging off the edge of the surface it's on). I'm glad I got it as it makes detangling my wigs easier than it was with my stand-less styrofoam head. I would highly recommend getting at least one of these for detangling purposes, but would still recommend getting a styrofoam head for storing or displaying styled wigs as it's a bit smaller in overall diameter.
Check out my Storenvy: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Make sure to check out my Facebook page too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Crafting Woes: How I Save
Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be talking a bit on how I've started saving money with crafting. Be it sewing, hot gluing, modge podge, acrylic, wood, or some other medium, a lot of people do some form of crafting in their life. Essentially taking one or more materials and creating something new with them. But crafting costs can add up if you aren't careful, so today I'm going to be talking about some of the main ways I've been saving money on crafting.
#1: Coupons and Sales
First things first, when you plan on getting materials to make something, start by figuring out if you can save money with a coupon or wait for a sale. In the case of sales, check the price on an item when it's not on sale if you can and make sure its price is actually lower when it *is* on sale. Sometimes businesses will bump up the prices on items prior to a sale and then lower them back to their original price during the "sale." Coupons can often be found by signing up for emails from a company, but sometimes you can get them from an app or in the store itself.
#2: Do I Actually Need This?
This is a problem a lot of crafters run into: buying materials that they intend to use eventually for some unknown future project and then never using it. Avoid wasting money by making sure you only but items you'll actually use. And by this I mean go out shopping for needed supplies for an active project you are currently working on. Don't go buying ribbon or lace just because they're on sale if you don't have a definitive plan for them. If you just need thread, fabric, and a pattern, buy those. If you need paint and a clear coat, buy them. Unless you have a planned project (such as adding lace or other accoutrements to a book shelf or boxes), don't go buying supplies impulsively just because the price is right.
#3: Use What You Have
So, if you're like me, you probably have lots of craft supplies lying around that you either got because it was well priced, or because you had a project in mind that you either never got to, or stopped working on halfway because of procrastination. If this is your case, make up crafts projects that use what supplies you already have. Don't buy anything new for these, just use what you have. Recently I've been trying to use up a bunch of trim, tulle, and ribbon I got that are either impulse buys or leftovers from other projects. I started out using hair clips I had lying around, but quickly ran out, so I decided to start attaching safety pins to the backs since I have a ton of those lying around. Preliminary wear tests show that it's a little difficult to fasten, but it's holding really well so far.
#4: Sometimes, Ya Just Have to Buy It
I know, I know. We all want to save money and make our own accessories and things, but sometimes it's cheaper to just pay someone who's experienced (and probably buys their stuff in bulk from China) to make stuff for us. I know there's been some times where I've wanted to start making my own Decoden and resin pieces, but I only have so much space to work in and to store stuff in. Plus I don't know how to get certain materials inexpensively and don't always want to buy in bulk (especially if I just want one). Not to mention my lack of skills working in those mediums. Because of these things, I've decided that it's better to pay someone experienced to make certain things for me instead of spending twice as much money and a whole lotta time to make something half as good (or just a mess that I can't use).
I hope you all enjoyed this weeks post! Let me know if you do anything creative to save money on crafting supplies!
Check out my Storenvy (Where you can buy some of the cute stuff I make): animelolitacouture.sotrenvy.com
Make sure to follow my Facebook too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
#1: Coupons and Sales
First things first, when you plan on getting materials to make something, start by figuring out if you can save money with a coupon or wait for a sale. In the case of sales, check the price on an item when it's not on sale if you can and make sure its price is actually lower when it *is* on sale. Sometimes businesses will bump up the prices on items prior to a sale and then lower them back to their original price during the "sale." Coupons can often be found by signing up for emails from a company, but sometimes you can get them from an app or in the store itself.
#2: Do I Actually Need This?
This is a problem a lot of crafters run into: buying materials that they intend to use eventually for some unknown future project and then never using it. Avoid wasting money by making sure you only but items you'll actually use. And by this I mean go out shopping for needed supplies for an active project you are currently working on. Don't go buying ribbon or lace just because they're on sale if you don't have a definitive plan for them. If you just need thread, fabric, and a pattern, buy those. If you need paint and a clear coat, buy them. Unless you have a planned project (such as adding lace or other accoutrements to a book shelf or boxes), don't go buying supplies impulsively just because the price is right.
#3: Use What You Have
So, if you're like me, you probably have lots of craft supplies lying around that you either got because it was well priced, or because you had a project in mind that you either never got to, or stopped working on halfway because of procrastination. If this is your case, make up crafts projects that use what supplies you already have. Don't buy anything new for these, just use what you have. Recently I've been trying to use up a bunch of trim, tulle, and ribbon I got that are either impulse buys or leftovers from other projects. I started out using hair clips I had lying around, but quickly ran out, so I decided to start attaching safety pins to the backs since I have a ton of those lying around. Preliminary wear tests show that it's a little difficult to fasten, but it's holding really well so far.
#4: Sometimes, Ya Just Have to Buy It
I know, I know. We all want to save money and make our own accessories and things, but sometimes it's cheaper to just pay someone who's experienced (and probably buys their stuff in bulk from China) to make stuff for us. I know there's been some times where I've wanted to start making my own Decoden and resin pieces, but I only have so much space to work in and to store stuff in. Plus I don't know how to get certain materials inexpensively and don't always want to buy in bulk (especially if I just want one). Not to mention my lack of skills working in those mediums. Because of these things, I've decided that it's better to pay someone experienced to make certain things for me instead of spending twice as much money and a whole lotta time to make something half as good (or just a mess that I can't use).
I hope you all enjoyed this weeks post! Let me know if you do anything creative to save money on crafting supplies!
Check out my Storenvy (Where you can buy some of the cute stuff I make): animelolitacouture.sotrenvy.com
Make sure to follow my Facebook too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Anime Reviews: Death Note
Hello everyone! So recently, due to encouragement from a friend, I decided to give Death Note another try. Several years back when I regularly read manga online, I started reading Death Note, but got bored after a certain point as there was a lot of talking going on and the story was seeming to progress slowly. However, I'm super glad I decided to try watching it this time instead of reading it. So, without further ado, here's my review of it.
Death Note is a story about a highschooler named Light who finds a notebook belonging to a shinigami, or god of death, that allows him to cause others to die either by a heart attack or by whatever method he writes in the notebook. However, in order to use the power of the notebook, Light must know the name and face of his victim. Upon realizing just what power he has, Light decides to use it to begin punishing criminals for their misdeeds and so begins going through the news to find names and faces of criminals either on the run or already in prison. As many of the criminals died from heart attacks, people started to realize there was some power causing these deaths and before long a mysterious detective known only a L joins the Japanese police force in an investigation to find this person dubbed Kira (short for killer). However, despite L's suspicion of Light, who also happens to be the police chief's son, Light is able to later join the investigation team.
So, while I could go into more detail about the story, I'm not gonna do that as there is a lot to the story and I don't want to give it away. My take on Death Note: It was an amazing anime. The story was a little predictable at points, but overall it was very well written and quite enjoyable. Seeing just what lengths Light would go to to protect his identity as Kira was very interesting as well as how the other characters reacted to different situations. The characters all had depth to them that allowed you to see them as actual people rather than just a plot device. The story was limited to a certain number of episodes, so the amount of "filler" material or drawn out scenes was very limited. The ending did a good job of wrapping things up and didn't leave much in the way of unclosed threads in the storyline. The ending was very sad, but well worth it. I would highly recommend Death Note to anyone interested in psychological animes as this one was very good at showing how a mind can warp and manipulate others.
If you have any suggestions for animes you'd like me to watch and review, please let me know! I have several more I've watched recently that you can expect to see some more coming up before too long!
Check out my store: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
I've got a Facebook page too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Death Note is a story about a highschooler named Light who finds a notebook belonging to a shinigami, or god of death, that allows him to cause others to die either by a heart attack or by whatever method he writes in the notebook. However, in order to use the power of the notebook, Light must know the name and face of his victim. Upon realizing just what power he has, Light decides to use it to begin punishing criminals for their misdeeds and so begins going through the news to find names and faces of criminals either on the run or already in prison. As many of the criminals died from heart attacks, people started to realize there was some power causing these deaths and before long a mysterious detective known only a L joins the Japanese police force in an investigation to find this person dubbed Kira (short for killer). However, despite L's suspicion of Light, who also happens to be the police chief's son, Light is able to later join the investigation team.
So, while I could go into more detail about the story, I'm not gonna do that as there is a lot to the story and I don't want to give it away. My take on Death Note: It was an amazing anime. The story was a little predictable at points, but overall it was very well written and quite enjoyable. Seeing just what lengths Light would go to to protect his identity as Kira was very interesting as well as how the other characters reacted to different situations. The characters all had depth to them that allowed you to see them as actual people rather than just a plot device. The story was limited to a certain number of episodes, so the amount of "filler" material or drawn out scenes was very limited. The ending did a good job of wrapping things up and didn't leave much in the way of unclosed threads in the storyline. The ending was very sad, but well worth it. I would highly recommend Death Note to anyone interested in psychological animes as this one was very good at showing how a mind can warp and manipulate others.
If you have any suggestions for animes you'd like me to watch and review, please let me know! I have several more I've watched recently that you can expect to see some more coming up before too long!
Check out my store: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
I've got a Facebook page too: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
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