Celga Haul & Dream Dress GET!

Since the beginning of the year, I have made a few Japanese purchases with Celga. I've used them a lot in the past and used them instead of FromJapan in this instance as FromJapan has limits with regards to number of Angelic Pretty purchases allowed (I think that was what it was anyway, and I know that's happened before so I'm assuming that was the reason).

I must admit, I was a little disappointed with them on this occasion. They usually provide a stellar service with quick responses and personalised emails, but I think they must have some new staff. One member confused which items were for bidding and which were for buying, for example. Also I asked for my parcel to be marked down to ¥10,000 and they fully marked it down to $39! Although that meant I totally skipped customs, so I guess I can't really complain. They weren't totally awful or anything, just not up to the standard I recalled from previous experiences.


Everything was packaged up nicely! The box cost around 8,000¥ (£50) to ship, if I remember correctly. Which stings a lot less since I didn't have to pay any customs or VAT. It was shipped on March 8th and arrived on the 11th.

So, onto the haul(s)! I won't be including fees in the listed prices as it'll just be far too complicated, but the total item value before shipping was $1,045(£630...holy balls!).

Angelic Pretty Sale Order

Back in January Angelic Pretty held a big sale! There was nothing that took my fancy really on the International site, but I'd been eyeing these items for a while and I just wanted to get something to be honest!


First up, Coat of Arms Tartan short JSK! According to my invoice it cost ¥12,495 (£73), so I guess it was reduced further after I bought it. I was tempted by the regular JSK as it was a similar price, but it was this version I'd been tempted by first.


I like the pink version a little more I think, but plumped for red since I already own a similar piece in pink. Sadly the headbow sold out before my stuff was ordered.


I love AP's cute little details such as the buttons.


Detachable pouch on the back. Mixed feelings about this dress really. The fabric has a lovely shimmery blue thread running through it that wasn't evident from the photos online, and the fabrics are all very soft and light. However, it is short. And if it's short on me, then I really mean SHORT. I assumed it would be like my Happy Girl JSK, but it must be shorter than that! I'm hoping it will still be okay, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone taller than me! I was going to remove the pouch, but it kind of acts a modesty one!


I wanted some more tights too that I could wear with fairy-kei styled coords, so I picked up Dreamy Baby Room tights in black for ¥2,100 (£12). The print isn't that great and the name makes me cringe a little, but the contrast on the tights really looks great and I'm looking forward to wearing them! Maybe to Kyary?

Another Angelic Pretty Order

I spotted by chance that there were Etoile Twins special sets on the Japanese site, and there were a few things I regretted not getting in my previous order, so I placed another one.


My first choice cut was out of stock already, but I couldn't resist the price of ¥10,500 (£60) for a JSK and heabow set! I always liked how dreamy and floaty this series looked.


I'm a little disappointed with the print as I feel it could have been a brighter pastel instead of very muted, but the bodice is a lovely soft silken fabric and it's such a little party dress! The lace has little crowns on it.


The headbow is quite understated too.


Since I already ordered Romantic Rose Letter (see below), I thought I'd pick up the matching necklace for ¥3,990 (£23). I was torn between pink and lavender, but figured pink would match more. This is my first AP necklace! I love all the glitter in it, and it certainly doesn't feel 'cheap' as people always say plastic jewellery is.


I also finally bought some black Holy Lantern jewellery, although only the bracelet was left, at ¥3,150 (£18). It's smaller than I imagined, but very adorable. Holy Lantern is probably one of my favourite series anyway, so I'd love to pick up the earrings and necklace too if the opportunity ever presents itself.


I also thought I'd get a catalogue since I've not had one before, for ¥840 (£5). It's pretty small, but a nice thing to have.

Mbok Auction Buys

I've always had a weak spot for auctions, but this time I have a very good excuse.

I fell helplessly in love the Romantic Rose Letter OP, but couldn't decide on a colourway and missed them going online anyway. I was in two minds about buying it at all as it was so expensive and OTT, but I chanced it at auction. The listing didn't show good proof photos and the price was suspiciously low for such a popular series (in the most popular colourway!) so I thought I may have been scammed. I couldn't have been more wrong!


I got the dress with bonnet for ¥46,000 (£270), when originally the OP cost ¥41,790 and the bonnet ¥8,295. It is STUNNING. The only flaw I could find was that the bag it came in smelled kind of bad, as if it had been in a home that was smoked in, and it transfered to the clothes a little. Both items still had tags though and didn't appear to have been worn.


The dress is so silky, nothing like the chiffon of Powder Rose as I'd imagined it would be. The lace is a little tacky-looking close up, but other than that it is absolutely perfect. The print has so many subtle details that I didn't notice, such as the writing on the letters, doves with branches in their mouths, and the lace and pearls that are printed all over.


I hadn't noticed the little hearts on the sleeved before, and thankfully my arms fit them! And the princess sleeves make me feel like an angel or something. The lace trim on the bottom of the dress has ribbons and roses on. It also has a huge ruffle-butt, but it was too hard to get a nice photo of!


And theme buttons!


Neck tie thing that came with the dress.


I'm not sure if I'll use the bonnet as they really don't suit me, but I really love owning it anyway!

Other Mbok purchases...


Impulse buy of an AP carousel necklace for ¥2,000 (£12). It's not as cute as I'd hoped as the gold is kind of gaudy, but it's a perfect match for Sugary Carnival and various other things I own. I already own a red carousel necklace, so now I have one for every outfit really since red and pink are my main colours!


Sailor Moon gashapon compacts for a rather hefty ¥3,500 (£20). They were no longer available on J-List when I bought them, and then they were put back up for a second round of pre-orders afterwards. Doh! I'm just glad to have them though, as they're adorable! Cutieeeeesss! I might attach brooch fasteners to the back so I can wear them like a real mahou shoujo!


Although those mirrors are totally useless and merely decorational lol.

I'm absolutely thrilled with my purchses, even if they set me back a lot. Definitely have to wait a while before any more online frilly purchases though!

Radiant Candlelight

Today Radiant Candlelight finally arrived!


I was taken with the series as soon as I saw it. I originally wanted the skirt in wine to fill the Gloria-shaped hole in my life, but in the end I decided that navy was cuter as I have a whole ton of wine already!


I hadn't intended to buy this. I'd um-ed and ah-ed over it until the release, and decided I needed the sleep more than the skirt and didn't try for it. I then had dreams about the release all night, and woke up gutted that I'd missed it! Luckily the navy skirt was still in stock on the Japanese site, so I enlisted the help of Celga to nab it! It also took the decision on piece and colour out of my hands (I had been toying with the idea of getting the JSK as it would be tons easier to coord since I have nothing navy). It looks like more have been put up since though!


It came boxed up really safely, and I managed to avoid customs! The order was processed on the 11th of December, posted on the 24th, and arrived on the 30th. I actually passed the Parcelforce van on my way to work! Total cost was around £150, which I don't think is bad at all for such a high quality piece.


The stuff inside. I really need to start using these stickers.


The skirt! I was really shocked at how dark it is...at first I thought they'd sent black by accident! But it is indeed navy (or con, as they named it). That will make it pretty hard to coordinate, and mean that I would have been better off with wine. But hey ho, it's gorgeous! I love velveteen so much.


It's a lilac label product! Did you know that Angelic Pretty has pink labels for more sweeter designs, and lilac for the less sweet ones? I only learned this last week! This is my third lilac label as far as I know, alongside Day Dream Carnival and Holy Lantern. I hear Dream Sky is lilac label too, but I think my original releases are too old.


The print says 'Silent Night' all over it, so it's definitely a Christmas print! I was originally a bit disappointed in the trim, but I actually have no problem with it after seeing it in real life (although the lace on the JSK is super cute!).


Little teardrop beads on the back of the overskirt.


And without the overskirt.


And the overskirt! I thought it would be tied at the back, but it actually has poppers and the bows are pinned onto the waistband. I really want to use this overskirt on other pieces. It will look great over Holy Night Story if I can get a navy blouse or cardigan to wear with it.


I also got the socks since they were still available. The navy is a bit brighter, and the gold more silvery, compared with the skirt. These will also pair nicely with Holy Night Story.

I just hope I can coord it well eventually and do the piece justice! I definitely need a new chiffon blouse to make this work.

What do you guys think of this series? Did you buy anything?

Small Lolita & Fairy-Kei Haul!

I have pretty much stopped buying lolita clothes as I don't really get many chances to dress up at the moment, and I have far too many clothes anyway. BUT when I saw one of my dream dresses at auction (one I'd narrowly missed buying in the Angelic Pretty sale) I couldn't resist buying it!


My gorgeous Moon Night Theater pleated JSK in wine!



The details are amazing, from the custom AP lace to the glittery golden thread and soft ribbons.

My only problems with it are that the pleats mess up easily (this dress already needs an iron after wearing it just once), and I also max it out as there is no shirring. So I guess I should cut down on the cakes.

To make my order with my shopping service seem more worthwhile, I bought a few other things too. Unfortunately I got scammed on one item (a cotton candy sweater from Milklim - gutted as I've always wanted one of those sweaters!).


A silly OTT furry jacket from Angelic Pretty! I have no idea what I'll wear it with, but the price was good and it's just so silly I couldn't not buy it. All the lace is detachable and amazing quality. I'd love to try a hime outfit with it, but that would require doing my hair and make-up properly xP


Swimmer shoes! I haven't tried them on yet, but they should be fine. I thought they'd be cute for fairy-kei style outfits.


And lastly, a long Milklim top. I wasn't majorly keen on it when I bought it, I just really wanted to own some Milklim as it's easily one of my favourite clothing brands. However upon seeing it in real life, I love it!


The colours and details are so cute. It's more shapeless than I'd thought it'd be though, but I'll have fun making some coords with it.


Not from Japan, but I figured I'd add these here anyway - a cute panda purse from New Look. It's pretty tiny and a bit crushed already, but pandas are so cute xP


And these were from Asda. The Hello Kitty pencil was 37p and the Monster High case was 75p! I was annoyed though as there was supposed to be a 75p MH notebook too, but they were sold out. And Asda had tons of cool stuff I wanted but couldn't buy as I was with mum (they had dollymix ponies (the G3 kind!), and Cupid).

I also have a few non-cutesy clothing purchases I'll share in a seperate post tomorrow =]

12 kilos of lolita!

I've been winning auctions like a boss for about half a year, and since I wanted my Wonder Story bag for the Bath meet on Saturday I decided to finally ship it! Still waiting for a few items though, but looks like one of them may never get to me as I won the auction 2 months ago =[


Anywho, Celga is very hit and miss. Their site and bidding system is really easy to use, which is pretty much the only reason I use them. The fees are harsh, their bid ID is frequently rejected, they forget to place bids sometimes so you have to remind them. But this time, they sent my package to the wrong address! Thankfully my housemates still live in that place, but since I changed my address on Celga when I moved, that's pretty damn poor. Also while I asked them to mark down the value to quarter, they marked it at $45...which is way less. If it had gotten lost I'd have received no money back at all. Kinda good as it skipped customs, but a value that low looks REALLY suspicious on such a huge parcel! So wasn't too impressed by that.

First up, Angelic Pretty webshop purchases! With these came some stickers, AP plastic bag, sheets detailing the latest releases, La Foret Fashion Week posters and...


a cute tote bag!



Dream Sky skirt and socks! So adorable, wrapped in the trademark pink tissue paper. Probably have to sell this skirt though...originally Celga said they couldn't get me the skirt so I ordered the pink from the USA website. Then they bought me this. Ugh. It's so cute though Dx


Wonder Story bag! I've wanted a book bag for ever, and this is so well made, it's spongy and lush! Only problem is due to the strap placement I have to wear it across my body the 'wrong' way which will take some getting used to. Love it so much though!

Other Angelic Pretty purchases now!



Whip Magic skirt and socks. This print just keeps growing on me, so when I saw it for cheap I snapped it up. The back is odd, the zip is in the centre of the back and the elasticated bits are on the sides at the back! The details are lovely though...I love the pearls on the ends of the waist ties.


Candy bag. One ribbon is missing =/ it was there on the proof photos on the listing, albeit wonky. But it isn't here at all so I can't even stick it back on. Not really sure what I can put on in replacement. It's also a bag that's impossible to use. The zip will barely move and I can't squeeze my hand in very easily. It's a really cute bag though ^_^'


Star bag, to go with Dream Sky! Zip on this a little difficult too and all the corners are bent, but I LOVE IT!


Pastel Pearl skirt in blue. It looked totally different in the photo, but after the initial shock, I love it! Although it is too short to wear a petti with unless I pull it down a little, but then my blouse won't stay tucked in. It has elastic in the back which I had to tighten to hell, so it looks kinda bunched up.


Bunny hood bolero =3


Bobble that came with the bolero.


Hoodie, it fits like a charm!


Cutsew that came with a big lot (I'll explain later). Needs a button to be sewn on.


Lyrical Bunny headband as it'll be soooooooooo useful for casual.

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright



Merry Sweet Castle JSK and headbow. Just fell in love with the colour, and fell in love with the print upon seeing it in real life...so beautiful! Hoping to gradually move more towards this kind of sweet as it's a little more mature.


Usakumya-chan's Stylish Sweet Time JSK...I love scallops! This JSK is a bit big though as I bought L size (it was cheaper!).


Swan Lake skirt. Have you gathered how much I love this colour yet?


Lovely Sweet Room JSK, quite tea-stained but won't notice when worn.


Alice's Garden JSK, MINT!!


Capelet. Love the chains on it.

Now, the set I mentioned earlier! I always wanted a heart apron in white, but for the same price I saw this:


a pink one which came with...


a JSK (don't like the shirring, but beautiful lace),


a cardigan (some red stains, but mostly on hood where it isn't visible)


and this headdress (one ribbon is falling off, but easily stitched back on).



Bonnet and socks which came in a set with a petticoat. Bit scabby and off-colour though, much worse than the seller made out. I'm not sure if bonnets suit me anyway...thoughts?



Alice And The Pirates


Kuroneko no Dance! I loved this print so much from the second I saw it. This is my first big AATP piece, although my first ever brand piece was a cardigan of theirs. I actually thought this skirt was black, but it's a beautiful dark emerald green...that looks black haha. However it seems to have had a bleach incident as there are some orange bits on the back, which isn't noticeable in the print but is on the green. It isn't too bad though, hoping it doesn't show too much when worn. And obviously the price reflected this flaw.

Metamorphose



Swan Lake! The print that made me a lolita pretty much. Came without the sleeves and collar, but not too bothered. Just hope I wear it as I don't really like OPs, but I couldn't pass this up as it was my first dream print and it's stunning.

And some other random stuff...


Free Kera magazines from Celga (the packaged ones, the other I bought from a British seller recently), two Kanon Wakeshima singles, two Moon Kana albums (Spade is signed!). Also got a Maximum The Hormone album for Rob, but he already took it.


Pikachu kigurumi! It's so massive on me as it's meant for someone taller than me...but it's so warm and snuggle-y and I wish I could wear it everywhere (well, not really. It's so unflattering).


That's everything! Sorry it was delayed in posting, my camera batteries died and I didn't have any more. Now the only items I'm waiting for from Celga are ETC's Present Box skirt, a pinkXbrown split wig and ETC's Mermaid print!

Needless to say, I won't be buying anything new for an awfully long time now.


In other news, been ill for almost a week now. Started with a sore throat, and now with intermittent runny nose and coughing. Haven't been able to sleep very well because of it, so my work has been suffering and I will look like hell at the lolita meet because I haven't had the energy to make myself pretty...but hope I'm well enough to go! I've been looking forward to it for ages.