More Wonder Queen!

I fell in love with this series as soon as I saw it, so I knew I had to own it!


I was actually drawn towards the bustier version as I loved the trim on the skirt, but the release was messed up and they were released late and in very small quantities!


I missed the first release of the military JSKs on the 28th of December, but managed to catch a restock that morning by chance. I had wanted navy, but I only saw green so I just grabbed it! I couldn't decide between headbow and bonnet and didn't really have time to think, so I just grabbed both. This was before the special set was announced, as I'm not sure I'd have bought both on purpose (although I probably would have haha).


I received my order on the 16th of January.


The items! The JSK cost ¥27,090 (roughly £160), the headbow was ¥3,360 (around £20), and the bonnet was ¥8,295 (just under £50). Shipping was ¥3,989 (£23), and customs was £63.20, which stung but could have been worse.


The military JSK. I wasn't too sure about this design due to the panels on the sides, but it has definitely grown on me. I was kinda annoyed to see that the plain fabrics are in fact navy though (but darker than for the navy colourway), as this will make the piece more difficult to coord. This means it's probably a good thing I got this version though, as it would look odd with the top fully navy and bottom fully green. You can't tell this from the photos on the site and nowhere is this mentioned, so I was a bit bummed out until it sunk in!


The print is so gorgeous with the gold in it, and I hope I can bring out the red! I'm a little sad that the base colour isn't a bit lighter and more 'green' though as it looks black in some lights.


Trying to show the colour difference. I love the military details, especially on the shoulders as I missed them in the stock photos. I have a feeling my hair will catch on the buttons though! The bows are detachable, and there is one pocket underneath the right panel.


The headbow is pretty small for Angelic Pretty, and a bit of an odd shape. However it has wires in it, so it should be fixable! There is a little gold heart charm.


The bonnet. I kinda regret buying this now as it's ridiculously huge and I don't have any flowers or anything to wear in the front to make it look less silly. I'll try my best with it though! The gold cord, lace, and subtle pearls are all nice touches.


And lastly, the novelty pack of playing cards! I'm a little tempted to use them to make a headpiece, but I don't think I can bring myself to. Overall I really love this series and the pieces I bought as they have so many rich colours and details, and should be slightly more wearable than most of my (super-sweet) wardrobe. I'd still like to get my hands on the salopette, unless I'm able to find Toy March!

AP Fukubukuro 1 & 2: Salopettes

This year I may have gone a bit overboard with new year happy packs! I wasn't even keen on the print other than the swans...


AP surprised me by releasing the packs somewhat early this year...or rather, last year. Second week of December if I remember correctly? I wanted a salopette that wasn't pink for once, so I ordered a lavender set on the 12th as the black was already sold out. I managed to catch it on a restock on the 14th though, and so my overspending began. They cost 12,600 with 3,937 shipping and £32.23 customs/Parcelforce fee each, totalling just under £130 each. I got them on the 10th after big delays over Christmas and New Year.


To be honest I really liked the pink set this year, but since I have 3 pink salopettes already I needed something different!


The packs! As usual they were wrapped in Angelic Pretty plastic bags and then in bubble wrap.


The sets themselves.


Black salopette! The buttons are so shiny and adorable. These salopettes actually have back lacing for once, which means they should be more flattering as they're more adjustable for smaller waists! They only have one pocket each, but are nicely lined.


Print close-up. The colours are kinda odd and remind me of bubbles. The swans are so adorable! Angelic Pretty needs to do a proper swan print.


Lavender salopette!


The print doesn't show so well, but the colour is adorable!


Barettes. I still don't get how to use these really!


Socks. The lavender ones aren't a perfect match colourwise. I love the over-knee length though, and they feel nice and thick.


Hoodies! These are super soft, with the lavender slightly softer than the black. I have a feeling a lot of these will be coming up second hand as I'm probably the maximum measurements that would be okay for them.


Close-up of the cute carousel pony print. This was one of the things that made me want the sets, as I love carousel prints! Also means it will match a lot of things I own already.


Bags. To be honest I wish the heart one was lilac, even though that would make it match fewer things that I own. The set just seems a little unbalanced with one random pink thing. Maybe the hoodie should have been pink with lavender print? Oh well. They're probably a little too small for me to use often, but they aren't a bad size. Big enough to fit phone, purse, keys, and maybe a snack or camera. However the material feels softer than last year's ones, so I don't think it'll cope with being bashed about so much. The pearls are a nice touch though.

I'm actually really happy with these packs! I think everything is much more useable for me than the previous years, and I think the salopette will look adorable once I've adjusted the straps and lacing to my size. It doesn't even seem too short this year!

I also recorded myself opening the packs on my new(-ish) YouTube channel, with a little worn demonstration at the end. You can check it out HERE.

Day Dream Carnival

Way back on April 7th I placed my order for Day Dream Carnival after much deliberation. I'm still not convinced I made the right decision as I'm more of a JSK person than a skirt one, but finally it is with me so I can try it and see!

This was my first time using Angelic Pretty's International shopping site, and I found ordering to be quite a smooth process. There was a little delay on payment confirmation, but nothing too extreme.

The items themselves cost 22,155¥, shipping was 3,730¥, and insurance a further 50¥. I didn't get a customs bill from Parcelforce before delivery, so fingers crossed I have avoided customs for a total cost of £165 at current exchange rates, which isn't bad at all.

The items were shipped on the 12th and arrived today, on the 16th. Pretty speedy!


The goods were wrapped in an Angelic Pretty bag with a bubblewrap pack over the top. I was a bit surprised that it wasn't boxed or in sturdy-feeling wrap, but it all arrived safely so it isn't an issue.


Inside my items were bagged and there was an undamaged AP bag in addition to the one they were wrapped in, and an AP sticker.


The skirt! I'm really not a fan of this brooch, but I guess it will be nice to pin it on my jacket in winter to tie outfits together. The gold in the print looks stunning when the light catches it. Obviously the overall quality is fantastic with nice feeling fabric and lace.


The matching headbow. I'm not a fan of this gold triangle trim (especially since there is none on the skirt) but it will be handy to wear with lots of things I own since I tend to wear black a lot and always with gold jewellery. The dangly star is just adorable, and the pearls are a nice touch and they match the brooch.


And a comparison with Sugary Carnival! The ponies looks very similar but more detailed on Day Dream Carnival, although the marshmallow motif is still evident in the pillars. I actually think Day Dream Carnival has overtaken Sugary Carnival as my favourite print! I didn't think that could happen, but it's just a lot classier and therefore should be easier to wear (and I wear Sugary Carnival the most out of all my pieces anyway).

I've yet to try on this set, but I'm very happy with it so far. No customs made it a bargain, and means I'm even more tempted to buy either Musée du Chocolat or Holy Lantern. I'm favouring the former, but I can't decide whether to go for pink or mint colourway (I originally wanted mint but I would be able to coord pink much easier). But I'm not sure it's still available and it's much more expensive than this set, so who knows what I'll end up getting!