Xelyna the Gothic Lolita

Lace & Petticoats: A Lolita Documentary

2011-12-11T21:00:00.001+10:00

Everybody, stop what you're doing right now and watch this amazing lolita documentary by my dear friend Goldie, starring noneother than myself and the Brisbane lolita community!

Halloween 2011!

2011-11-20T20:31:00.001+10:00

My computer died from a virus a while back so it's taken me forever to recover all my stuff, so I have a big backlog of posts to make!

Halloween this year was totally epic! My friend had a huge party at her house and lots of local lolitas turned up. I didn't have any idea of what to wear for a costume so I just went in gothic lolita:3

On the train on the way there.

I tried icing cakes and biscuits before the party but they got all messed up on the train and I had to do them again>_<;;

I'm not much of an artist though^^;;

I vant to suck your bloooooood :E

With my friends^^

Eating pizza while playing Pin The Arm on the Skeleton XD;; ThisiswhyImfat.jpg

I don't even remember why I was doing this, LOL

It wouldn't be Halloween without me spitting up fake blood at some point!

Everyone's reactionsXD What I did was put the blood in my mouth and then pretend to go bobbing for apples, and came up like that and said "What the fuck was in that apple????". Oh, I'm so mature^^;;

The whole gang together :D

Lux Bite Meet!

2011-10-15T12:10:00.000+10:00

The other day some lolitas met up for our friend's birthday at a fancy dessert cafe in South Yarra called "Lux Bite". It was an unusually warm day for Melbourne, so I wore my Odekake Chocola-chan OP :D

Everybody in a park before the meet.

Inside the cafe.

Lining up to order.

What I got to eat:

A heart-shaped hamburger!

This was a yuzu-chocolate mousse cake :O

Om nom nom :3

Outfit:

OP: Angelic Pretty
Headdress: Antique Beast
Stockings: Vivienne Westwood
Necklace: Innocent World
Shoes: Off-band

Manifest 2011

2011-10-12T20:22:00.004+10:00

Woah, I have been so busy I haven't had time to update in ages! Anyway, on August 27 & 28 I went to Manifest, the Melbourne anime festival, and this is what I wore!

On Saturday I went as MC Melody Doll! A whole lot of lolitas recognised me from my music video, and it was lots of fun!

Outfit:
Skirt: Angelic Pretty
Cutsew: Emily Temple Cute
Jacket: Peace Now
Socks: Moitie
Shoes: Bodyline
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

On Sunday I wore Melty Mermaid for the first time! So many people came up to me and wanted to touch it, LOL

Outfit:
Skirt: Alice and the Pirates
Cutsew: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Headdress: Antique Beast
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Tights: Vivienne Westwood
Shoes: Bodyline
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

High Tea @ Madame Brussells

2011-07-28T17:36:00.005+10:00

Last weekend the Melbourne lolitas went to Madame Brussells for high tea! It was cold outside so I wore my most Winter-y items.

The cocktail was actually called "Lolita", and it was so delicious!

With my friend, Alice.

Everybody sitting around.

Group shot!

My cape has no arm-holes because I thought it would look stupid... but it looks just as stupid without themX_x;;

Outfit:
Dress: Innocent World
Blouse: Innocent Word
Cape: Handmade by me
Necklace: Innocent World
Socks: Emily Temple Cute
Shoes: Queen Bee

Aqua Princess for High Tea

2011-07-10T17:20:00.002+10:00

The other day I went to a High Tea party with the Melbourne lolitas. I wore my Aqua Princess dress, co-ordinated for Winter for the first time!

With the other goths at the party.

Om nom nom cakes!

Outfit:
JSK: Angelic Pretty
Blouse: Peace Now
Socks: Moi-meme-Moitie
Crown: Putumayo

MC Melody Doll Tells All!

2011-07-03T23:23:00.004+10:00

So how did the first even Lolita Rap Parody music video come to be? I'll let you in on a secret- there was alcohol involved, LOL

The truth is, I had heard the original Fabolous song on my workmate's iTunes library, and thought it was the best song I'd ever heard! A song about a guy basically saying "If you become my girlfriend, I'll take you shopping and buy you whatever you want because I'm so rich!" How brilliant! I bet he has no trouble getting girls with a realistic attitude like that^^;; But anyway, I became so obsessed with this song that I was sharing it with all my friends, until one day I was like "This song is so materialistic, we should do a Lolita version of it," (about 5 vodkas in, mind you). Luckily my friends are awesome film makers, so they made it happen!

If you haven't seen the original, really, it's worth it^^;;

I wrote the parody lyrics in about 10 minutes and we recorded it in just a couple of days- the first day was the scene in the alley-way, at which point we hadn't even recorded the song yet, so the lip-sync is kinda out-of-whack, but we didn't have time to go back and re-record any of it. The second day was the inside scenes and the coffin scene, where I had to lie in someone's freezing backyard at midnight for ages^^;;

If you're wondering about the lyrics, here are some of the more obscure references:

I'm in Laforet
Laforet is a multi-level shopping center in Harajuku, which has most lolita brands.

Fill up them point cards, get the discount
All lolita brands have point cards, and when you spend say 5000-yen you get a stamp, and when you fill the card you get a discount of a small percent. Generally you have to spend $1000 to get $50 off your next purchase or something, and I think you have to use it within a year. The only time I ever filled one up was when I was doing shopping services for other people, LMAO

Is it a present? I say "No" when they ask it
Some brands (and a lot of shops in Japan) will ask you if your purchase is a present when you buy it, and wrap it specially if it is.

Next week I'll be buying up Osaka
After Tokyo, Osaka city has the most lolita shops in Japan.

I don't pay for hosts though
They are gross so
Be sitting by myself drinking Rose Mo
I couldn't resist leaving the the original song's reference to "Rose Mo", which I assume is Rose Moe & Chandon- an expensive champagne that seems to be a favourite of both rappers and hosts, LOL^^;;

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a message!

I am MC Melod¥ Doll!

2011-06-07T21:33:00.003+10:00

I've been very busy lately moving to a new city, but before I left my friends and I got together to record the first ever Lolita Rap Parody song and video! XD

When I have some time I will post about how this video came to be and what the lyrics mean. I hope it makes everyone laugh! I had so much fun making itXD

LYRICS

(You already know what to buy) We gotta buy some brand (EGL!) (Just
put it in the bag) Wassup lolis, wassup brolitas, wassup Mana, hey man,
I'm going to Harajuku, gotta buy up some brand yo.

Now I know you are over there staring at my brand
Yeah I know you are over there staring at my brand
Loli I know you don't see yourself wearing all my brand
I know you don't see yourself wearing all my brand
In the city, Angelic Pretty
Brand down to my toes, just like Maki
It's me again, with the yen
Ignore the price on the tag
Just get the matching bag

Chorus:
Un-huh un-huh un-huh
Just throw it in the bag
Un-huh un-huh un-huh
Just throw it in the bag
Un-huh un-huh un-huh
Just throw it in the bag
Un-huh un-huh un-huh
Just throw it in the bag

Verse 1:
Buy second hand?
Why would you do that?
I'm in Laforet
Shopping all day
Just ask the shop girls
Baby they treat me well
Ain't no browsing
They know I rich like Hell
A couple Iron Gates, I post on EGL
Got Loli's looking like, "Did we miss a Moitie sale?"
Can't say what I do, just know I work like Hell,
To keep the Baby and AP on my La-b-el
Fill up them point cards, get the discount
But to be honest I never look at the amount
Or ask "Ikura?", that means "How much?"
Study Nihongo, your brain will turn to mush
I buy my brand with cash
Your buy your brand with credit
In Japan they say "Don't eat til you fit it"
Get some Vivienne
I'm talking Westwood
Real rocking horse
I ain't talking Secret Shop

Verse 2:
Sugary Carnival, Puppet Circus, Church Gate yeah
I don't need a shopping service just fly over there
Now this style don't come for free
For real lolis buying brand is a philosophy
So just get the matching bag
Is it a present? I say "No" when they ask it
When I die I'll be buried in a Moitie casket
Now I'm at the goth bar, hanging with Mana
Next week I'll be buying up Osaka
I don't pay for hosts though
They are gross so
Be sitting by myself drinking Rose Mo
You say get a man? I'm too rich for one
I'll buy a dollfie, he'll be just as good as one
See me here at Emily
Don't you feel the jealousy
Putting a dress on reserve
'Cause it's what I deserve
Socks, necklace, headbow and what else
Oh yeah, I guess I'll take the matching bag

Lolita Dance Video

2011-05-26T22:38:00.002+10:00

At our Easter meet-up the other day, my friend filmed us playing Just Dance on Nintendo Wii. It was the first time I ever played it so I look totally derp but it's fun to watch^^;;

Gabalnara Split-Wig Review

2011-05-20T22:33:00.004+10:00

The other day my friend did a group-order for Gabalnara wigs, so I thought I would get one to save money on shipping/ordering costs since I can't read Korean.

This is the wig I ordered:

Looks really cute doesn't it? I love split hairstyles!

When I finally got the wig, I was kinda disappointed. I bought it in the supposedly highest-quality fibre, but it was still really shiny and doesn't look or feel much like real hair. Also, it was far too long, like it was designed for someone with a giant headO_o;; It curved out in a really weird way:

The bangs were too long, but that's normal for wigs I guess:

In the end I hacked a whole lot off it, and now it looks a lot better:

However, I don't think this wig was worth the $80 I paid with shipping/shopping service fees for the quality it is. From now on I'll stick with Cyperous, because their wigs always look exactly like their photos!

Amaretto Sour

2011-05-17T21:21:00.002+10:00

The other day it was my friend's birthday, so I dressed up in casual lolita for the night out.

Me with the birthday girl, with an amaretto sour in one hand and my Vivenne Westwood wallet in the other- that's just how I rollXD;;

By the end of the party I'd ended up with someone's Sailor jacket and whip, and everyone said I looked like a character from Sucker Punch:

I haven't seen that movie myself, though^^;;

Gothic Lolita - Moitie and Antique Beast Co-ord

2011-04-22T11:30:00.002+10:00

The other day I dressed up with my friends to go to a lolita photoshoot meet-up... but sadly it was raining and none of the photographers showed up, so I didn't get any good photosT____T I did get a few that show my outfit though!

Outfit:
OP: Moi-meme-Moitie
Choker: Moi-meme-Moitie
Headdress: Antique Beast
Socks: Moi-meme-Moitie
Stockings: Vivenne Westwood
Shoes: Colorado? LOL

Me and my awesome friends!

On the bus... people didn't know what hit themXD;;

BrisLoli Easter Meet 2011!

2011-04-18T21:14:00.004+10:00

Last weekend my local lolita community had a huge Easter party! The theme was "Bunnies and Bonnets", and I ended up going with the bunny theme. I wore all pink and white with the lolita bunny headdress I got in Claire's in Japan all those years ago:

Outfit:
Blouse: Innocent World
Skirt: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Bunny headdress: Claire's
Shoes: TaoBao

So many people came to the meet, and it was so much fun! We had a clothing rummage sale, a lolita charades game (which me and my partner won- somehow I think I should be disqualified from these in the future>_>;;;), a screening of a lolita documentary, photoshoots, and heaps and heaps of delicious food!

This is just a small fraction of the lolitas (we had shots per color we were wearing).

I don't have any group photos yet, but I have hilarious photos my friend kept taking of me while I was eating and stuff^^;;

Um... Playboy bunny? O_o;;

Eating bunny.

Still eating bunny.

Get the scary man with the camera away from me!!!

Supanova 2011

2011-04-14T20:28:00.003+10:00

Wow, I've been so busy lately! I haven't been doing that much Lolita-related stuff, but the other day it was the local anime convention in my hometown. I went in cosplay, but my friends went mainly in Lolita.

The character I cosplayed was Megumi Shimizu from the anime "Shiki". It's a horror anime which is like Dracula but set in a modern-day farming village in Japan. Megumi hates living in the country, and dreams of running away to Tokyo and being a Harajuku girl or a pop idol. Her fashion in the show is varies from Lolita to Punk Goth to Harajuku or Akiba-kei. I didn't have time to make a cosplay of her more complicated outfits, so I chose a simple one from the first episode:

My version:

I couldn't find boots as crazy as hers, but I'm sure they were for sale in Japan, LOL

I had circle lenses in, I love them!

Me and a couple of my loli friends!

Pray for Japan, then do what you can.

2011-03-21T20:19:00.002+10:00

I haven't updated for a while, for two reasons- I've been far too worried for my friends and everyone else in Japan, and I've also been really sick. Now the situation is getting a bit better (although still worrying) and I'm recovering too, so I thought I'd make an update.

Ways you can help Japan include:

Donating to a verified charity (check within your own country about the best way to help);

Continuing to buy from businesses you support in Japan if they can still sell;

And to paraphrase Katz from Yokoso News "Save up your money to come to Japan and see how we have recovered from this disaster in the future,".

Obviously the tourism industry is going to take a huge blow with this, so when it is again safe to visit according to your country's advice, the people of Japan will be very grateful for your tourist dollar (can you tell I used to work in Tourism? LOL).

I leave you with a Namazu-e by Haruka Makita:

In Japanese mythology, the Namazu (鯰) is a giant catfish who causes earthquakes. He lives in the mud beneath the earth, and is guarded by the god Kashima who restrains the catfish with a stone. When Kashima lets his guard fall, Namazu thrashes about, causing violent earthquakes. (From Wikipedia) Namazu-e is a genre of pictures which show Namazu being restrained to prevent earthquakes. Many artists in Japan have started drawing these again to show their support for the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Sydney Trip!

2011-03-10T20:43:00.003+10:00

Last weekend I went to Sydney because I won tickets to see a movie by my favourite director. That's not really related to lolita fashion though, but I did dress up to go to go around the city! I also went to Kinokuniya and bought the new Gothic Lolita Bible and Kera magazine :D

I went to a Japanese 100-yen store:

I also ate heaps of Japanese food:

And this is me in a kimono at the Sydney Opera House:

Fun times!

Parfait Outfit!

2011-03-04T19:57:00.003+10:00

I took so many photos on Sunday because me and my friend both brought good camerasXD;;

In the art gallery bathroom^^;; My camera is an Olympus E-1.

Reflected in one of the artworks :O

Outfit:
Skirt + Barette: Baby the Stars Shine Bright
Cut-sew: Angelic Pretty
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Queen Bee

Thanks so Vysanthe for the photos she took!

Lolitas in the Pool!

2011-03-02T20:17:00.004+10:00

On Sunday my local lolita group went to the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane to see an exhibition about art from 2000-2010.

The most fun this was a swimming pool that you could go into...

What's this?

Underwater lolitas?

I looove this photo of my friendXD

Classical mermaid??

Me! I had so much fun with thisXD

You can see more here on EGL.

Photo credits to me and Vysanthe.

Hipstamatic Loli

2011-02-28T23:05:00.003+10:00

The other day my friend took some pictures of me with her iPhone "Hipstamatic" app. I loved them so much I have to post them!

More photos from this day later!

Kawaii TV x Australia's Next Top Model

2011-02-20T12:10:00.003+10:00

Last year I was of course very interested to see when Australia's Next Top Model went to Japan and tried out various street fashions, including lolita. The Australian show only showed one side of it- mainly the "models" complaining about stuff, but the Japanese side, Tokyo Kawaii TV shows the side of the real models who helped dress them up.

Someone finally post it here on Tokyo Kawaii Etc... so you can view it (no subtitles but they include some show notes).

My notes on the first video:

When the Australian model that Misako dressed up in lolita (Kelsie) said "I look like Bo-Peep," they translated it into Japanese as "I look like a baby," and added baby crying noises. The voice-over guy kept saying "Is it impossible to make a beautiful Australian model look like a cute lolita??". She then puts a wig on her and the voice-over guy says the bangs hide her forehead (implying that it's huge btw) and stop her from looking too much like an adult. She then gives up on the bonnet and adds the bunny-ear hat instead, saying it looks cuter. The voice-over guy says "It hides her sexiness completely!" O_O;;

When they tried on a dress it came to just above Kelsie's knees, and Misako was like "You're not supposed to show any skin in lolita. If you have a gap between thigh-high socks and the skirt it's gross," and lamented she was too tall at just 172cm (which is pretty short for a Western model btw). She remedied it with longer socks, but it certainly shows the difference between BtSSB and Angelic Pretty (who make their dresses short on purpose to show off more thigh).

I love that they show Misako has a real job as a nurse, and how she carries little Sanrio things with her because she has to wear a uniform for her job. Good on her for thinking ahead beyond modeling! I hope that she inspires more lolitas to think about their futureO_O

Notes on the second part:

They show inside Misako's room, yay! Inside her closet is lots of Emily Temple Cute, which makes me happy! They have some vox pops on the street that say Misako is the best lolita model in Japan, and looks like she was born to be a lolita.

She shows her boxes of fan letters from lolitas around the world, and talks about one girl who wrote to her and said her parent's are against her wearing lolita. She says that even though we wear lolita as a fashion because we like it, lots of people will look at us and say we must be weird because we don't look normal. She then says she feels like she's carrying the hopes of her Japanese and Westerns fans on her back.

OMG HOSTS HNNNNNGGGGGGGGHHH (sorry, there's no accounting for taste:P)
And why are they in Don Quixote for a segment on Akiba-kei... meh, not even mad.

Back to the lolita, Misako says that no matter how cute you look, if you walk down the runway like a model it won't look right for lolita, and tries to teach Kelsie how to walk. Before the show she gives Kelsie the rings she wears every day to wear for the show, but it's kinda obvious they don't fit well on her fingersX_x;;

After the parade, the fashion students votes for their favourite, and it went Gyaru > School Uniform > Fairy-kei > Lolita. Misako was really upset and was crying, and said she wanted to try to represent Japan through lolita fashion but she felt like she failedT_T

In the end, I liked this better than the Australian one because it took it more seriously and we didn't have to put up with the Australian models making fun of it. Gawd, seeing people acting like that makes me want to go back to Japan foreverT_T

Goth Clubbing

2011-02-15T21:07:00.002+10:00

The other day I went goth clubbing in ero-loli. Sadly my camera is broken and my phone also broke and I had to replace it with a really old one, so I only have one really bad picture>_<;;

I should have a new camera by next week, so I can review my new Cyperous wig and Antique Beast headdress which should arrive by then too :D

Lolita Documentary Trailer!

2011-02-12T13:49:00.003+10:00

Last year my friend made a documentary about lolita fashion for her film class, using me and other lolitas from Brisbane. Finally, the trailer is available for viewing!

Lace & Petticoats Trailer from Goldie Soetianto on Vimeo.

I can't wait until the full documentary will be available online:D

Also, I really get weirded out hearing my own voiceO____o;;;;

Mermaids on a Hot Weekend

2011-02-08T20:59:00.002+10:00

On the weekend my local lolita group met up, but it was sooooo hot! I really regretted wearing lolita in the end, but at least I had fun^^;;

I took a few photos, but my camera's memory card corrupted them>_<;; Luckily my friend took one for me!

Outfit:
Skirt: Angelic Pretty
Cutsew: Emily Temple Cute
Socks: Metamorphose
Accessories: Chocomint
Shoes: Bodyline

Summer and Shopping!

2011-02-05T17:17:00.003+10:00

Wow, Summer has gotten so hot here, it's going to be hard to wear lolita for a while!

Lately I've made a couple of lolita purchases that I can't wait to wear, though.

The first is this headdress from Antique Beast:

I call it the Bat-Cat Headdress^^;;

It doubles as a choker!

I've been in love with the indies brand Antique Beast for so long now! They've been around over 10 years, and this "Black Cat" headdress was one of the first items I really wanted. Sadly they didn't ship overseas until last year, but when I first got into lolita I wanted one so much I made a (bad) copy!

Yes, shameful now I know. But at least I'm finally getting the real one!

The other thing I ordered was this wig from Cyperous:

I've always wanted two-tone hair like this, and the cut of the bangs is sooo nice! I can't wait to get it and wear it out :D

I'll post reviews when I get the items!

Party Pink

2011-02-01T20:32:00.003+10:00

On the weekend I dressed up to go to my friend's 25th birthday party! Sadly I only got one photo, and it isn't too good^^;;

So elegant... standing in some random kitchen^^;;

Outfit:
Skirt, cutsew: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Bolero: Offbrand (Tempt)
Socks, bow: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Bodyline
Necklace: Chocomint

I slept in curlers in the front of my hair, but you can't really see it there^^;;

Australia Day Lolita

2011-01-29T13:02:00.003+10:00

Australia Day is a public holiday, so to celebrate I dressed up and went drinking in true Aussie style, LOL

Me and my friend, hitting the town in style.

I love these glasses so muchXD

Outfit:
Skirt, cutsew, socks: Moi-meme-Moitie
Bow: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood x Melissa

Lolita Collections

2011-01-26T12:13:00.004+10:00

I finally made it back to my apartment, and have moved all my stuff back in:D Luckily the flood didn't affect my internet access here!

In other news, I got a new lolita dress! This time it's a Classic Lolita dress from Victorian Maiden:

It's my first piece from Victorian Maiden, and it's beautiful! I can't wait to wear it!

As a collector of Lolita fashion, I personally made it my goal to own something from every brand in the Gothic Lolita Bible. It's kinda a weird goal, but after reading the GLB for so many years and drooling over all the pretty things, I feel like owning even just an accessory from that brand makes it "tangible".

Other people's collections can be their "dream dresses", only one brand, one style or one colour. What kind of collector are you?

Tutorial: How to do multiple exposure shots with digital cameras.

2011-01-22T14:44:00.004+10:00

I have gotten a lot of positive feedback about some of the silly "multiple exposure" shots I did lately, and a couple of people have asked for a tutorial, so here it is!

Step 1:

Set up your digital camera on a very secure tripod. When taking the shots, don't let it move at all when you press the button. Even being off by a fraction is noticeable when you try to stitch the shots together!

Step 2:

Put the images in an image editing program, and take half of the behind image and paste it over the front image.

Step 3:

Isolate the part of the image that overlaps using the lasso tool.

Step 4:

Erase the part of the image that overlaps.

Step 5:

Paying careful attention to shadows and reflections, erase either the foreground or background image in places until they look seamless. Repeat until you have enough layers on, and then flatten the image and adjust the brightness/contrast and apply any filters.

The finished product: Voila!

If anyone tries this, please comment here with a link to your post!

Another Flood Post

2011-01-19T21:59:00.003+10:00

Haha, I went back to my apartment, and it was totally safe from the floods- but still it has no electricity! So I have to continue to live with my parents and commute 3 hours a day to work>_<;;

Time for more photos with the self-timer! XD

I love this ETC dress so much!

Outfit:
Dress: Emily Temple Cute
Cardigan: Offbrand
Bow Ring: Chocomint
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Queen Bee

Face close-up! I look like an Ageha model, LOL

And one more photo-manip:

I call this one "Inner Conflict" LOL

Still Bloggin'

2011-01-17T00:09:00.003+10:00

Should only be one more day until I can go back to my apartment. I'm really worried about what the city is going to be like now... it could be years until it's all cleaned up and repaired. I feel so terrible to all the people who's houses got totally flooded. I'm lucky that I'm just renting, but if the house you owned got flooded, it would never be the same again D: No-one ever expected it to flood after 10 years of drought, though!

No, I will never get tired of multiple exposure shots:P The only challenge now is to make them more interesting^^

Today I'm in Moitie! I got this one in Closet Child after trying on just about everything in the store. I like the fact it has a different kind of blue in it to my usual sax blue- I'm going to start collecting more like this, I think^^

I managed to leave half my make-up behind, but you'd hardly notice^^;;

Still Blogging Away the Flood

2011-01-15T17:23:00.003+10:00

Still stuck at my parents house, trying not to think about how bad my apartment will be by the time I can reach itT______T

Today I dressed up in my favourite colour- sax blue! I first started wearing blue lolita clothes in 2005, when I went to Angelic Pretty and they had a blue dress on sale that I thought was so pretty. Since then I never looked back!

I stuck some things into the flowers to make it look different from yesterday, but you can hardly see it>_>;;

This dress has a full circle skirt and is so heavy! It was in a Winter lucky pack :D

Nerdy bonus- I finally took the Fish Custard Challenge! (Doctor Who fans know what I'm talking aboutXD;;)

All ready to eat, with my apron on!

It tasted um... like custard on fish fingers, LOL

Blogging the Floods Away

2011-01-14T21:58:00.003+10:00

Still stuck not able to reach my home. I had to evacuate in a hurry, so even though I saved all my lolita dresses, most of my accessories and make-up are still there:/ Hopefully the water didn't reach my house, but I'm still gonna worry until I can reach it! All the roads out there are still blockedT_T

To distract myself, I dressed up today and played around with using a tripod and dSLR^^;;

I've never done one of these shots before, and now I don't think I'll do anything but them in the future! XD

*swoon*

This isn't Photoshop, it's me not knowing how to use the camera, haha^^;;

Outfit:
Skirt, blouse: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Queen Bee
Flowers: Diva

Headdress Not Dead??

2011-01-13T14:58:00.002+10:00

I'm currently not able to go to work because of the floods in my hometown, so I thought I'd blog about something I posted on EGL yesterday.

The Gothic Lolita headdress! It was one of the first really recognisable parts of the fashion, after bell-shaped skirts and knee-high socks. In the past few years, they have all but disappeared in favour of Alice-bows, headbands and hats of all sorts.

However, lately there has been some interest in going back to "Old School" lolita. Not only in the Western community, but looking in the latest Kera magazine, it seems they are coming back:

An old-school style from Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.

A smaller chic-er version from Innocent World.

The caption I think said Metamorphose, but it looks modified?

Also from the latest Kera was this comic which I found hilarious:

1. Learn of the Gothic Lolita "missionary(??)" Mana-sama,
2. Work hard, save money. With that bit of money-
3. Collect lolita little-by-little
4. And then wear Lolita every day!

Happy New Lolita Year!

2011-01-10T19:14:00.002+10:00

Happy New Year everyone! I just had my first holiday in aaages, but it rained the whole time so I didn't end up wearing lolita anywhere. Le sad;_;

Good news though! The Brisbane Lolita Christmas Party made it to the newspaper:D My friend is doing a series on Subcultures and Brisbane and wrote it. She also interviewed me! You can read the article here: Loving the Lolita look

I bought the newspaper and read it while eating a bento^^

The other day, I went to my first Steampunk meet-up! I had always seen there were lots of Steampunks around Brisbane, but I kept missing the events they have. This time the same friend was writing an article about Steampunks and told me about this one, so I decided to go!

Victorian x Meiji multicultural steampunkXD

My idea was to make a mixture of European and Japanese mourning wear, hence the formal crested black kimono and black veil. One day I hope I can make this costume even more elaborate, but not until Winter because I nearly died wearing this in a hot, steamy (excuse the pun) SummerX______x;;

They call me the Black Widow:P

A shot of everyone there- so many awesome outfits!

Brisbane Lolita Christmas Party 2010!

2010-12-28T20:42:00.003+10:00

A couple of weeks ago my local community had our Christmas party. It was a huge event, with games and prizes, not to mention heaps of food and drink! It was held at a local university, so there was lots of old architecture to admire.

Our full group:

So many BrisLolis!

Playing "Lolita Pictionary"

Of course, my team won, hahaXD;;

Playing "Pin the Nose on Mana"

He has no nose, it's impossible!

My full outfit:

It was raining so horribly outside that I was about an hour late too the meet because I couldn't even walk to the bus stop D: Because of this, my outfit theme was "Full Plastic"! Everything from my wig down to my rubber Melissa shoes was plastic, in the hope I wouldn't ruin anything^^;;

Outfit:
Dress: Emily Temple Cute
Stockings: Allanah Hill
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood X Melissa
Headband & Bracelet: Angelic Pretty

Merry Christmas everyone!

Long Dress Love!

2010-11-14T09:38:00.003+10:00

Ah, how I love long lolita dresses! Since it's the end of Spring here, I decided to get a last wear for this year out of a favourite of mine:

I looooooove my Vivienne Westwood x Melissa shoes! It's hard to see, but they are so shiny:

Everything Vivienne Westwood designs is so nice*_*

The boater hat seems to be in fashion even in Australia now, although I think it actually started as a gyaru trend in JapanO_o;; Anyway, I was happy because I got this one for $5 from a local store, LOL

Outfit:
JSK: Emily Temple Cute
Socks: Emily Temple Cute
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood x Melissa
Everything else: Offbrand from local stores

Lolitas @ Zombie Walk!

2010-10-26T19:50:00.003+10:00

On the weekend there was a zombie walk in my town (and just about every town in the world), so me and my friends dressed up!

Here are some pictures:

Me in the parade. There were over 5000 people! :D

Me with two guro-lolis XD

OM NOM NOM BRAINS!

The best thing about the zombie walk is the excuse to wear goth make-up, which doesn't happen often these days. The downside is that I still can't get it off my arms completelyX_x;;

Bonus:

For the blood on the bandages I used nail polish, and the blood on my body it was lip gloss mixed with blush^^;; I look more like a zombie that was eating strawberries than brains in the end, LOL

Autumn Aristocrat

2010-10-22T19:00:00.004+10:00

I haven't posted lately, because I didn't have many photos of when I was dressed up. Lately it's been an unusually cool Autumn, and on top of that it's been raining a lot! I didn't want to risk my lolita prints running, so I've stuck with Aristocrat for a while.

My and my lolita friends in the city the other day.

I'm wearing Moitie and Black Peace Now.

On a different day, I wore my fake-leather Moitie JSK for the first time!

Despite all the black leather, the sunny tropical backdrop kinda ruins it, LOL I should submit this to Goths In Hot WeatherXD;;

Outfit:
JSK: Moi-meme-Moitie
Blouse: Off-brand
Wrist Cuff: Alice Auaa
Boots: Doc Martens LOL

Xelyna Returns

2010-09-19T15:11:00.002+10:00

Again I neglect my blog- not because I haven't been wearing lolita, but because I haven't had enough pictures to share (and just writing about what I did isn't so interesting, LOL).

In early August, the Brisbane Lolitas had another High Tea meet-up! We went to the same hotel we went to last year, and ate our own weights in cake:D

I only got a face shot:

And here's me cropped out from the one group photo that I could find... funny, so many girls took photos that day, but no-one uploaded them T_T

Later in August it was my birthday, and to celebrate I went out with my friends on a karaoke night! I wasn't wearing lolita, but more... lolita-inspired outfit:

Hmm, this month I haven't had a chance to wear lolita yet, but I have been buying a lot of Moitie for some unknown reason. Yesterday I was walking through some local craft markets, and I found the weirdest thing- a Mana T-shirt!

If you don't know who Mana is, then you will have to wait for my up-coming essay "Who is Mana and why you should care" LOL

French Festival

2010-07-21T20:12:00.003+10:00

This weekend I went with my lolita friends to a French Festival.

We found macarons! I love macarons, but they are so hard to find in AustraliaT_T

Me and my friends:D

Outfit:
OP: Angelic Pretty
Blouse: Black Peace Now
Socks: Moi-meme-Moitie
Headbow: Angelic Pretty
Stockings: Vivienne Westwood
Gloves: Unknown brand LOL

It's so warm in Australia, even in the middle of Winter I barely needed a jumper>_<;; But at least I can wear lolita more!

Japanese Hair Extensions 101

2010-07-18T11:26:00.003+10:00

Whether you're into Lolita or Gyaru Fashion, you probably have noticed just how much BIG HAIR the models in magazines have. Of course a lot wear wigs, but not all! I looked at their hair tutorials in magazines and wondered what I was doing wrong- why did my hair never get even close to being as big not matter how much I curled and teased it?

Well, the first point is that I have very thin, fine, Caucasian hair, which I can't do anything about>_>;;;; But the second point is that many of the models in magazines have hair extensions. It's WAY cheaper to get it done in Japan, and they use a better technique than in Western countries. Where I live, a full head of extensions will set you back at least $500, but usually around $1000. In Japan you can get it done from $100-200.

Here is what it looks like in photos in magazines:

See those little braid things? Those are where the extensions are attached. They use a technique called "Pinch braiding" and it is basically just where the extension is braided in and kept there with a piece of elastic thread.

This is what it looked like in my hair when I got 50 put in:

Sadly they only had black thread, so it really showed up>_>;;

The best thing about this kind of extension is that you can do both up-styles and down-styles because it follows the direction of your own hair. You can get them for both added volume and added length. Let's look at the difference it made to my thin hair:

The difference in volume really surprised me!

So maybe you want to get Japanese-style extensions? First consider these points:

PROS:
* Cheap to get done in Japan.
* Human hair blends into your own hair well.
* You can do up-styles and down-styles.
* You can curl and tease them like your own hair.
* Instant added length and volume.
* You can easily take them out yourself- just cut the thread and unbraid them.

CONS:
* Very painful the first couple of days (I couldn't sleep on them the first night).
* Hard to wash and take forever to dry.
* Can possibly cause permanent bald-spots (though not as much as other techniques).
* Can be itchy sometimes, but you can't scratch or you'll risk tearing your hair out!
* Uncomfortable to sleep on in general.
* Impossible to hide when doing upstyles.
* Not sure if you can get them done outside of Japan.

Hahaha, reading the cons, you'd think no-one would want them, but that's the price millions of women are prepared to pay for beauty, myself not exceptedX_x;;

Classic Lolita

2010-07-11T18:12:00.003+10:00

Last weekend I went to an art gallery with a lolita friend, to see an exhibition of Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. It was cold outside, so I decided to wear my new Innocent World dress.

Posing with some sweet architecture from 1862. This building is Old Government House at QUT, where I shot a vampire film once^^;;

Without the cardigan and accessories. With a drinking fountain from 1867 that is in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. They didn't do things by halves back then, LOL

I'm wearing 3 long petticoats from the 1950s under this to make it this shape! The dress fabric is really soft.

Outfit:
JSK: Innocent World
Blouse: Innocent World
Cardigan: Emily Temple Cute
Socks: Innocent World
Necklace: Innocent World
Shoes: Queen Bee
Scarf, beret, petticoats: Vintage finds.

That's it until next time, when I might post a tutorial on how to make hair extensions. Also, my inbox is always open! Click the image below to send me a question:

Ask Xelyna: Lolita and Sports

2010-07-03T10:46:00.005+10:00

Hooray, I'm so excited, it's time for my first "Ask Xelyna" column!

My lovely ready reader writes:

I really like to run to keep myself in shape but I'm trying to become a 24/7 lolita but have no idea how to loli-fy my running outfits? It would be great if you had some suggestions.

Great question! Personally I wear track pants and a Dir en Grey T-shirt if I go jogging (well, fast-walking, I'm not very sporty LOL), but Jogging Lolita is certainly possible!

Outfit:
Skirt: Putumayo
Tank: Putumayo
Socks: Miho Matsuda
Sneakers: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

How to do sport in lolita:

1. Look for Wearable and Washable clothes.

- Face it, sport makes you sweat. Sweat is death to most lolita clothes. This is why you need to choose a) dark colours and B) washable fabrics. Therefore cotton, especially stretch cotton is your friend. Think cut-sews and simple one-layer skirts.

- You need to move for sport, and not over-heat, so you can't be in full sleeves. Plenty of lolita brands make tank-tops and short skirts, so these are perfect!

2. Socks and Shoes don't have to be brand.

- You're probably going to get mud on your socks at some point, so go for cheap ones you can buy at your local shopping center.

- You don't want to be uncomfortable or hurt your feet/ankles while running, so the best idea is to wear real running shoes. If they are plain black, they'll blend into your outfit anyway. Baby, the Stars Shine Bright brought out sneakers recently, but I don't know how good they are for running in. If they are comfortable, they would be totally cute, though!

3. Keep hair simple.

- Put your hair up in twin pony tails to keep it out of your face.

Recommended brands:
* Putumayo (cheap and washable)
* Black Peace Now (cheap and breathable, also make pants and shorts)
* Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (their cut-sew material skirts and tops are sports-ready)
* Alice and the Pirates (also have lots of cut-sews and pants)

So thank-you again for sending in your question, and to everyone else reading, my inbox is always open! Click the image below to send me a question:

Until then, it's back to your regular programming (^_~)

100 Followers!

2010-06-26T13:54:00.007+10:00

I just noticed today that my little blog now has 100 followers! Thank-you guys so much!

In honor of this, I decided to start a question column in my blog:

Click on the image to email me with any questions about Lolita Fashion and I'll do my best to answer them in my blog. Remember, I lived in Japan for 4 years and have been a moderator of EGL since 2004, so no question is too hard!

In other news, it's getting a little bit cold in Australia. In a way it's good because it's not as cold as it was in Japan, but it's still cold enough to wear long-sleeved dresses. When I lived in Japan I had to pretty much give up lolita for the coldest months of the year, because no matter how many layers I wore, my legs would always be too cold. I don't know how Japanese lolitas bear it! Of course, if I had fit into lolita boots or could have afforded a lolita coat, I might have tried it more often, haha. In the end, I made a cape to keep me warm, which cost MUCH less than the $400+ a brand coat costsX_x;;

LOL, bathroom mirror shot^^;; It was the mirror at a Lolita Craft Fair though!

Lolita Fashion and Glasses

2010-06-20T11:52:00.003+10:00

Glasses and Lolita Fashion- can they mix? I see a lot of people worried about this question. What you -should- be asking yourself is "Glasses and Lolita Fashion- how can I make it work?"

A wise friend of mine once said "You can force anything," and I do believe she was right. Although the general rule is that glasses distract too much from the big "dolly eye" look that is important to lolita, there are many ways you can make it work. I know many lolitas who can't wear contact lenses, so here are some ideas to help you feel more confident wearing glasses.

1. Thin metal frames.

If you don't want your glasses to hide your eyes and more importantly your eye make-up and lashes, thin frames are a good idea.

This is me the other day when I ran out of contact lenses, LOL

2. Thick plastic frames.

Made popular by Visual Kei fans in Japan, thick plastic frames in black or red are good for drawing attention to your eyes in a "Yeah, I got glasses, so what??" way.

3. Hipster glasses

Okay, so I don't know what they're really called, but big oversized glasses are a popular fashion accessory now. Modeled here by the wonderful Sweetphaex of Dollpart fame, they are totally cute:D

4. Sunglasses.

For anonymity on public transport, sunglasses and lolita say "BRB, being badass."

5. Aristocrat/Ouji/Boystyle/Visual Kei

Glasses look better with more masculine styles, and are even just a great fashion accessory for these looks.

(I'm on a boaaaatXD;;)

6. Take your glasses off in photos.

No-one on the internet will ever knowXD;;

International Lolita Day #1 Winter

2010-06-13T10:51:00.005+10:00

Last Saturday was International Lolita Day (Winter Edition). To celebrate, the lolitas in my state had a picnic in the park!

I wore my Emily Temple Cute "Tea Party" dress, as I thought it suited the picnic well^^

Excuse the lenseflare>_>;;
Outfit:
JSK: Emily Temple Cute
Blouse: Innocent World
Bolero: Offbrand
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Queen Bee
Hat: Hand-made

Thanks to Like_a_ladyboy for this photo!

Brisbane lolitas...

are so...

awesome!!

The picnic was great fun, and so many lolitas turned up! The only downside was that I kinda dislocated my jaw trying to eat a macaron, and have been on a liquid diet ever since. Getting your wisdom teeth out sucks, kidsT________T

More quirky GLB quiz translations!

2010-05-16T16:01:00.004+10:00

I'm still at home recovering from getting my wisdom teeth out. It really sucks, I tell you! I can't wait to get better so I can wear lolita and hang out with my friends againT_T

Photo by my friend Vysanthe.

Continuing on from my last post, I've read through the whole 200 question interview now, and have picked out the most interesting questions. A lot I can't translate because they are referring to Japanese things (like what level of formal language you use) or because they are asking how to write things in English, LOL

From "Manners":

- You always put your heart into having perfect manners. (Y/N)

- You always have good posture. (Y/N)

- You never cross your legs on the train. (Y/N)

- You think that lolitas who cross their legs and smoke in cafes are not cute. (Y/N)

- As soon as you get home your clean and polish your shoes before putting them away (Y/N)

From "Hair and Make-up":

- You can't stand not having white skin. You would never swim in the ocean. (Y/N)

- You always carry a parasol when you go out. (Y/N)

- Your ideal hair is long with no layers. Or a bob with no layers. (Y/N)

- Your bangs are your life. Or if you don't have bangs, all of your hair is long. (Y/N)

From "Culture":

- Name all 7 Harry Potter books. (_/7)

- What is the name of the girl who wears lolita in "Nana"?

- What is the name of the girl who wears gothic lolita in "Death Note"?

- What is the name of the famous company that makes macarons that appears in the movie "Marie Antoinette"?

- What are the names of the fat twins in "Alice in Wonderland"?

- What are the names of the two main characters in "Shimotsuma Monogatari"?

- What is the name of the powerful Italian vampire family in "Twilight"?

- What is the full name of the butler in "Kuroshitsuji"?

- What is the name of the doll owned by the main character in "Rozen Maiden"?

From "Gothic Lolita History":

Fill in the blanks:

The word "Gothic Lolita" comes from the words Mana-sama from Malice _____ used to describe his fashion brand as: "_____, gothic and lolita". At the same time in the Kansai region, gothic punk flavoured brand Alice ____ started, as did the brand that even sold coffin beds, ______ Maiden, and the brand that had princess sleeves resembling those of Victorian England, VISIBLE & ______. Among gothic lolita fans, the most beloved was manga and fashion drawn by Kusumoto Maki in the 80s called ________. In the 90s, it was the artist who illustrated magazine covers and wrote the manga "DOLL", ______. Also, the most beloved film director of the gothic lolitas was Tim _______. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was very popular, but the most popular movie was by the English writer _______ Carroll.

So how did you measure up against these questions? Some of them left me thinking "LOL WUT", but they are just the opinions of whoever wrote it (they seem to imply it was Arika from Ali Project, but I'm not really sure).

Are you a pure gothic & lolita? Quiz Translation

2010-05-13T10:56:00.010+10:00

Urgh, I've been at home sick all week after getting all my wisdom teeth out last weekT____T Needless to say, I'm not wearing lolita now, with a face like a chipmunkX_x

Reading the Gothic Lolita Bible in my bedroom. Filled with GLEE!!!!!

The latest Gothic Lolita Bible has a 200-question quiz on "Are you a pure gothic & lolita?". The questions are very interesting, and they have several designers, models and normal lolitas off the street who took the quiz and the scores they got. Surprisingly, the highest score was around 130. However, I think anyone who got a full 200 would probably also be institutionalised >_>;;

Here is my translation of Part A -- "Gothic & Lolita Mentality"

1. Do you want to become a doll? Or a robot? Do you like artificial things?

(Yes/No)

2. My blood is not red. I think it's pink or blue. If not, I don't even know if I have any...

(Yes/No)

3. You hate slobby clothes. You like clothes that cinch your body tightly.

(Yes/No)

4. It's not just in your clothing, but in your life you like to have rules or constrictions or prefer living conventionally.

(Yes/No)

5. You don't like clothes that show off too much skin. Even in Summer you don't like to show off your skin.

(Yes/No)

6. However, you like to wear a corset to make your bust appear bigger and prettier.

(Yes/No)

7. You wouldn't mind being born into a time when there was still a caste system. You would like there to be master-servant relationships. Of course, acting like a prince or or princess would be wonderful, but also the image of being a maid or butler and devoting yourself to others is appealing to you.

(Yes/No)

8. When you see someone dressed in Gothic or Lolita fashion you think "A-ha! That's it!".

(Yes/No)

9. Until you found out about gothic & lolita fashion, you didn't care about what you wore, or didn't have any clothes you really wanted to wear.

(Yes/No)

10. You don't have many friends. Or you don't have any. It's fun to have friends, but you're fine without them.

(Yes/No)

11. The person you like most is yourself.

(Yes/No)

12. If you fell in love with a guy, you would never ever change what you wear or your hobbies for him. Before that, you'd have to toss him...

(Yes/No)

13. When you see lace peeking out of your sleeve, you feel really good.

(Yes/No)

14. When you wear clothes that are not gothic or lolita, you feel lousy.

(Yes/No)

15. You want a castle in Europe.

(Yes/No)

16. You can recall the names of 5 castles in Europe.

(One point for each. /5)

17. You want to live in a country like Germany, France, England or Italy.

(Yes/No)

18. You study German, French, Esperanto or Italian.

(One point for each. /4)

19. By far you prefer being photographed to taking photos.

(Yes/No)

20. You also like to collect photos of pretty people.

(Yes/No)

21. To you, the most special flower is most definitely the Rose.

(Yes/No)

22. You own more than 3 things that are rose-scented (soap, rose water etc...)

(Yes/No)

23. If possible, you'd love to be a person who exists eating nothing but rose petals.

(Yes/No)

24. In a past life, you lived in Europe. Or at least you'd like to think that.

(Yes/No)

25. When you see pictures of scenery in Europe on TV or in magazines, your chest hurts and you start to cry.

(Yes/No)

26. Even when you're in trouble, if you see someone in more trouble than you, you forget yourself and help them. You want to live by chivalry or "Noblesse oblige".

(Yes/No)

27. You are sure there used to be angel wings on your back.

(Yes/No)

28. You yearn for not a natural, but a man-made paradise.

(Yes/No)

How did you score? Do any of the questions surprise you?

Please don't re-post this anywhere, but feel free to link^^

Gothic Lolita at Start of Autumn

2010-05-03T20:26:00.003+10:00

Wow, have I had a busy couple of weeks! I just finished three days of shooting for my friends documentary about Lolita fashion in Australia. The documentary is for her university assignment, but hopefully it will be available online in a few months. I don't have any pictures from it, except a couple of head shots of what I was wearing:

Pink and Black Deco-ish Lolita^^;;

Gothic Lolita with Emo kid in back seat>_>;;

It's Autumn in Australia now, so the temperature is just bearable enough to wear lolita on weekends without melting^^;; This is me from the other week:

I had to take the sleeves off by midday, but put them back on in the evening. But that's the beauty of detachable sleeves!

Last week an episode of "Jessica Simpson's Price of Beauty" aired in America. I was hopeful that perhaps the episode would help enlighten the public as to what Lolita fashion is and what it means in Japan, but unfortunately it ended up just being another sensationalised "LOL those crazy Japanese" piece that culminated in Jessica Simpson making a spectacle of herself walking down a catwalk in full lolita while flashing her bloomers at everyone:/ At least we get to see Angelic Pretty's designers Asuka and Maki in the background (they personally dress JS). But sadly I don't think anyone watching the show who didn't know about lolita will have any better idea of what the fashion is after watching than before it:/

I wish Asuka and Maki would make me over, LOL

Easter and Supanova

2010-04-17T13:18:00.002+10:00

Whoo, I have been so busy lately! Here is what I've been up to:

On Easter I dressed up in one of my favourite Metamorphose dresses:

I love fake eyelashes so much right now!

Also over the Easter holidays, I went to the Gallery of Modern Art, where I fell in love with this crazy sculpture made of a stuffed elk covered in solid (!!) glass balls!

Last but not least, I went to my local anime and pop culture expo last weekend, and wore gothic lolita on the second day. (On the first day I was in a Star Trek uniform LOL)

Meet-Up in Brisbane

2010-03-28T17:34:00.002+10:00

Yesterday my local lolita group had another meet-up! I took the opportunity to wear my new wig:D

We went to a French Cafe for lunch, and then to a park to take photos.

Look how many of us there are! And that's not even all the lolitas in my state. It's so encouraging to see the fashion get more and more popular in Australia. I can't wait for our next meet-up!

Tim Burton's Alice and Mine Too

2010-03-20T10:49:00.002+10:00

Last weekend I went out with some of my lolita friends to see the new Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland in 3D. I loved the movie so much! It was typical Burton style, half-way between a children's movie and a horror movie. Personally I love his movies, and I especially love the clothes, and Alice's outfits were no exception!

For the event, I dressed up in a "Alice-style" lolita outfit. The only thing I didn't have was a white apron... but considering the number of times I want to dress up like Alice, I don't really need one^^;;

Photos thanks to Friezaess!

Foundation and Concealer Reviews

2010-02-28T17:20:00.005+10:00

As a lolita obsessed with looking like a doll all the time, foundation is a natural obsession for me! For years I also had to contend with acne, but luckily now I discovered a treatment that works for me, so I can just concentrate on colour and cover. Today I'm writing reviews of all the foundations and concealers I've used in the past few years.

Foundation:

Revlon Photoready

Dubbed a "High Definition" foundation (as in, if someone filmed you on HD film you would still look good), this foundation really does seem to deliver. I've only worn it for two days so far, but it really does seem to give total coverage and last all day. It doesn't even make my T-zone extra oily like most. It is slightly shiny, but turns up well on film (i.e. doesn't make you look greasy). The only downside is that it's not as thick as I would have hoped. 4.5/5

L'oreal Infalliable

I used this one for a while, and it's thick and gives really good coverage. It is especially good at hiding redness and dark circles. Only cons are that it doesn't last all day, and makes my nose a bit more oily than usual. 4/5

Maybelline Age Rewind

I used various versions of this for years when I had bad acne. It gives amazing coverage of pimples! It is very thick and tends to crease, but that's the pay-off for the thickness. If you don't have a lot of acne, you don't really need to use this one, however. 4/5

Covergirl TruBlend

The colour is great, as it promises, however the coverage is very light and it makes your face look greasy, fast! I wore it a few times and never again, because I looked I'd rubbed my face in oil in photos. 2/5

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse

It promises matte, and it delivers matte! However, the effect is short-lived, and will soon make your T-zone oily. I would only reccomend this for photoshoots when your face has to be really matte for a short amount of time. Otherwise I wouldn't wear this out on a daily basis. 2.5/5

Other:

Pore Putty

Apparently gyaru use this to hide acne scars before putting their foundation on. It does work somewhat, but can backfire if you use the slighest bit too much, and will ruin your foundation. It also can cause breakouts. It might work better on Asian skin, but personally I don't reccomend it. 1/5

Maybelline Age Rewind Double Face Perfector

This is pretty useless except for a touch-up concealer that fits in your purse. It's not any thicker than normal foundation and doesn't do a teriffic job of hiding blemishes. I don't really know what the highlighting end is good for, because I don't need any part of my face to look taller than it already is. 2.5/5

Maybelline Coverstick

This is basically greasepaint. I used it for a while and it really messed up the skin under my eyes. The only reason I could reccomend this is if you have the blackest of black undereye circles from hell and you have a really good reason why you want to conceal them. But please, don't use it on an every day basis. 0/5

Kate Cosmetics Powder

Kate seems to be a Japanese brand, and it is the only one that makes a foundation and powder than can possibly be used on Caucasian skin. I found their powder to be light and does it's job well. Other powders have made me cough a lot when I put them on, so whatever is in this one seems to be better. 3/5

Wow, okay, that was a lot of reviews! Until next time!

All Pink - Brisbane Meet-up

2010-02-07T14:12:00.002+10:00

Yesterday there was another lolita meet-up in Brisbane, so I finally had a chance to wear out my new all-pink outfit:D

Outfit:
Skirt: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Cutsew: Emily Temple Cute
Bolero: Tempt
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Headbow: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Bodyline

I've had that ETC cutsew for years, but didn't have the right skirt to match, so I'd never worn it out until yesterday. I think it was worth the wait, because I just love the print on it so muchXD

The wig wasn't my first choice, but my other wigs are getting too worn-outT_T I really need to buy some new ones (before I buy any new clothes>_>;;)

We ate lunch at a lovely French Cafe and took photos in the city, before going to see the movie Sherlock Holmes (for the second or third time for most of us, LOL). It was horribly hot and humid, but everyone braved the head in big dresses and wigs, because that's just what lolitas do, dammit! XD

Marionette Photoshoot

2010-02-03T21:59:00.003+10:00

Last year I did a J-Goth inspired photoshoot with a local photographer. The outfit was influenced by the goths in Japan (henceforth known as J-Goths). Unlike goths in Australia, they go all-out with white-face make-up, huge wigs and elaborate costumes. In fact, the costume in this shoot might actually look boring compared with what they would normally wear to a club, LOL>_>;;

More photos on my website!

For photos inside Japanese goth clubs: Black Veil photo galleries. (Extra points if you find photos of me in thereXD)

Circle Lens Update

2010-01-29T22:16:00.003+10:00

Okay, so last week I wrote about how I got circle lenses and how they burnt my eyes the first time I wore them? Well, turns out that people were right, and that it was only a problem because they didn't come with the proper instructions that would have said "Soak your lenses in solution for at least 8 hours before wear,". I'm rather annoyed that this information was not broadcast rather loudly by the seller, and instead hidden on their FAQ page (which was broken at the time I got the lenses). The reason being, all domestic contact lenses can be worn straight from their packaging without soaking, so how would people know to soak them if they don't get told first? >_<;;

But anyway, now you know! Now I know! And I was able to put one in and wear it today for a few hours with no discomfort or problems. Yay circle lenses!

P.S. I actually wore out just one lens because I had to go shopping, and nobody noticed at allX___x;; I guess people really just don't look people in the eyes any more these days>_>;; But also, this re-enforces the fact that you should only wear these lenses for short amounts of time, like photo shoots, because otherwise you might be hurting your eyes for no reason and no-one will notice anywayX__x;;

Circle Lenses, Colour Contacts and Lolita

2010-01-25T21:49:00.003+10:00

Right from the start, gothic lolita fashion and colour contact lenses have gone hand-in-hand. Lately a new type of lens called "circle lenses" have become very popular. Circle lenses are colour contact lenses where the colour goes all the way to the edge of the lens, making your iris look bigger.
Read any Gothic Lolita Bible, Kera or Ageha magazine and you will see that almost all the models have either colour contacts or circle lenses. For a natural look, there are edge-only lenses which only increase the diameter of the iris but don't change the colour. These only really work if you have black or brown eyes. For colour circle lenses, there are edge colours, transparent colours and opaque colours.

In the past I made the mistake of buying transparent colour contact, only to find that they didn't show up in blue eyes at all!

Up close you can see the pattern.

From a distance there is hardly any change.

Disappointed, I decided to order some opaque circle lenses instead. They aren't sold in Australia, so I had to order them from Korea. When I got them, they made a huge difference to my eyes!

They would probably look best on darker eyes, but blue and purple aren't too different.

Now here's where you can see the impact! It completes the supernatural doll look that I try to aim for in Lolita XD

With a black wig- to me it looks less unnatural than blue eyes with black hair. Now I just need a better wig^^;;

I did have problems with the Korean lenses however- they didn't come with proper instructions, and I found out later that you were supposed to soak them in lens cleaner for at least 8 hours before use. This was after I already put them in and they burnt and stung my eyes DDDDD:
I haven't tried them back on since, and have been wondering if it's really worth risking my eyesight to look cool in lolita>_<;; You only get one pair of eyes, kids! Be sure to check with an optometrist and do your research before wearing contact lenses of any kind!
Also, circle lenses are only made for occasional and short-term wear. No more than 4-6 hours a day, and not too many days a week. There have been reports (although nothing official I can find) of people getting corneal ulcers and going blind from themD: A lot of my friends wear them often and so far have had no ill effects, although I know they take good care of them with cleaning and wear-time. Just be careful with your eyes!

A Lolita Night in Japan

2010-01-19T10:59:00.003+10:00

Just today my friend who runs the Gothic Lolita select shop Mfashion in Europe posted a video she took of us in Japan last Winter. It features us walking around the streets of America-Mura (the centre of street fashion in Osaka, much like Harajuku in Tokyo) looking for somewhere to eat^^;; We're both wearing Innocent World.

(Sorry for my giggling and weird voice^^;;;;;)

Boleros are a Lolita's Best Friend!

2010-01-11T15:24:00.002+10:00

If there was one lolita fashion discovery I wish I had made sooner, it's how useful boleros (and cardigans) can be!

Don't feel like wearing a blouse under your JSK? Wear a bolero over it instead! Especially in Summer, it's a life-saver! And it's usually much easier to wash a bolero than a blouse too (and requires less ironing).

Got a dress that looks funny with a blouse under it? Then wear it with a cardigan or bolero over the top instead! Some dresses are hard to co-ordinate with a blouse because of the shape of the collar or sleeves, so boleros or cardigans can solve this problem.

What about if a dress doesn't fit properly? Or has damage to the collar you can't fix (like make-up stains)? Again, boleros and cardigans can help you get more wear out of these dresses by hiding a multitude of sins.

So in conclusion, buying long and short sleeve boleros and cardigans in a few colours (black, white, cream, pink) can extend your wardrobe by a lot! Personally I'm working on completely my bolero and cardigan collection all the time, because they are just so useful:D

Happy New Lolita Year 2010!

2010-01-03T11:29:00.003+10:00

Akemashite Omedetou! Happy New Year!

The most important part of the new year for lolitas is SALES! Most importantly if you live in Japan where the Lucky Packs (fukubukuro) go on sale around January 2-3, but also for online sales for international lolitas.

When I lived in Japan, I would always check Kera magazine for the list of brands and which day they would open to sell Lucky Packs, and which day they would open for Winter Sales (usually 30-70% off). The reason that some stores sold the Lucky Packs on one day and started the sale on another was to minimize the amount of confusion and people in the store. Some brands like Baby the Stars Shine Bright would only let in 5 people at a time, and wouldn't let anyone else into the store until they had paid for their items and left- presumably to prevent shop-lifting. Other brands just let everyone rush in- but it usually depended on how in-demand the lucky packs were.

The usual price of a Lucky Pack is 10,000-yen (about $100). The clothes inside can be worth anything from $200-800, depending on the brand. The most expensive Lucky Packs I've seen were 50,000-yen ones from Innocent World, h.Naoto and Angelic Pretty. Again, the more you can afford to lay down, the more you will get back in value!

Here are some lucky packs I got in previous years:

Angelic Pretty (New Years 2008)

Angelic Pretty (New Years 2007)

Black Peace Now (New Years 2008)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T21:28:00.003+10:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Did you get any lolita presents? I didn't, but my family hate lolita fashion, so it wasn't exactly a surprise, LOL>_>;; I did, however, buy a few things off EGL Comm Sales in the weeks leading up to ChristmasXD It seems people were really trying to sell the things they didn't wear any more to pay for Christmas-related expenses, which is good for buyers!

It's ridiculously hot now, so the last time I went out wearing lolita, I wore a very Summery oufit.

The dress is by Carina e Arequin, which was a sister brand of Atelier Pierrot. The point of my outfit was that I ripped my little toenail off and couldn't wear high heels, so I had to co-ordinate it with sandals^^;; But with the hat, I think it gave it a very 1950s look!

Here is me and my friends:

Another outfit I wore the other day was made up of all off-brand pieces I found locally:

Again, I had to wear those sandals because I hurt my toe, but in the end the outfit has a very casual Emily Temple Cute look to it.

All photo credits to Vysanthe.

Have a happy holidays everyone!

Blog post.... not counting any more!

2009-12-09T10:37:00.003+10:00

Lately I've been going out to quite a few lolita things!

But first, I did a more "Japanese Gothic" styled shoot the other day:

It was inspired by the goths I saw at clubs in Japan, especially the make-up and cage skirt I made. That cage skirt was hand-sewn from 7 meters of corset boning! It took me forever^^;; Soon I'll update my website with a proper gallery^^;;

Next I went to my friend's photography exhibition. She took photos of the local lolitas for a photo-journalism assignment. Here is a picture of me holding a drink in front of a picture of me holding a drink:

The dress is Emily Temple Cute and I love it!

Next I went to my friend's birthday party. I didn't get a good shot, so I had to blank my face out here, sorry^^;;

And last but not least, I was in a shoot for a music video! A local band called the Bloodpoets were shooting and they needed gothic lolitas... or so we thought. When me and my friend got to the shoot, they told us we were going to be "witches", and gave us ugly make-up X__x;; But I guess in the end we just look like evil gothic lolitas^^;;

Production stills are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trulsfossum/sets/72157622910277306/

And one day I might be able to post the video as well:D

Lolita Blog #14

2009-11-15T23:31:00.002+10:00

I've been wearing lolita and other Japanese fashions around a lot lately, but I keep forgetting to update!

A casual gothic lolita outfit:

Outfit:
Cutsew: Baby, The Stars Shine Bright
Skirt: Metamorphose
Stockings: Vivienne Westwood
Shoes: Bodyline
Crown: Spica/Putumayo
Wrist Cuff: Alice Auaa

And an even more casual outfit:

Outfit:
Cutsew: Putumayo
Skirt: Putumayo
Socks: Offbrand
Shoes: Bodyline
Wrist Cuff: Alice Auaa

When I wear casual lolita, I usually stick with black as a base colour. If I'm going to be going out and spending a lot of time in an outfit, black is the obvious choice because it won't stain as easily, and can be washed without much difficulty. When it comes to colourful prints, a lot need dry-cleaning, so wearing them on a casual basis would be very expensive!

Xelyna's Lolita Week #13

2009-10-23T18:28:00.002+10:00

Last week my local Lolita group had a meet-up for High Tea! The day was absolutely wonderful. The hotel that was hosting the high tea put on a whole cake buffet, with more cake than it was humanly possible to eat. I highly recommend trying out high tea if you haven't already!

After we ate, we took lots of photos around the hotel and the city.

My outfit was:
Blouse: Angelic Pretty
Skirt: Angelic Pretty
Socks: Swimmer
Shoes: Montreal
Headbow: Angelic Pretty

Xelyna's Lolita Week #12

2009-10-11T11:57:00.002+10:00

With Summer just around the corner, Spring may be the last few weeks where wearing any clothes will be bearable in Brisbane e___e But in the meantime, I'm enjoying wearing lolita!

The other day I went out to the city for my friend's photography assingment. She is photographing lolitas doing every day things for her university project. I've so far done a couple of photoshoots with her, including hanging out my washing, shopping at a supermarket, and standing in line for sushiXD When I get the final pictures, I'll be sure to post them here!

This is what I wore this week:

JSK: Emily Temple Cute
Bolero: Innocent World
Socks: Emily Temple Cute
Shoes: Bodyline
Bow: Innocent Wold

And one more shot from the other day (I didn't get a body shot:/)

Lolita Week in Review #11

2009-09-13T21:58:00.002+10:00

Sorry for my absence of late, but I have been busy with life!

This week, however, I was stuck at home all week with a cold;_; On the upside, it gave me time to finish up my creations for the Alternative Craft Market that I participated in this week!

I made all manner of gothic and lolita accessories, and ended up selling a lot of them too.

This is me and my friends at the stall:D

I've always been sewing and selling my own lolita items, since I was in high school! This was the first time I'd sold them at a market in real life, and got to see my buyers face-to-face. It's quite different to selling over eBay! In the future I hope I can go to more gothic markets, like the ones they have in Melbourne. Failing that, some anime conventions will let you sell gothic lolita items, so I might try that too.

Now I need to get back to designing and making things... oh, and fixing my overlockerX___x;;

Xelyna's Week in Lolita #10

2009-08-10T20:32:00.002+10:00

Well folks, I finally reached double-digits in my little weekly blog:D

This week in lolita was exciting in that a lolita was featured on national TV in the USA- but sadly on the TV show "What Not To Wear". The episode hasn't been screened in my country yet, but from what I hear, the hosts of the show didn't understand lolita fashion at all, and called it both fetish and frumpy:/ Contradiction much? Sadly because of the name of the fashion, people jump to all sorts of conclusions... the very truth of the matter is that even in Japan, the home of lolita fashion, it is not considered fetish wear or to have any connotations of faux-pedophilia. It's an alternative fashion, the same as goth or punk. If only someone could change the name by deed-pole, we'd probably be a lot better off trying to explain it to people.

In personal news, I tried out a new sewing pattern this week! From the Handmade GosuRori book I tried a fully-shirred pattern with some cute fabric.

Because the top is all elastic, it can be adjusted for a lot of sizes!

I think I might make more with the same pattern, because it's simple and cute!

Lolita Week in Review #9

2009-08-03T20:47:00.002+10:00

This week I did a photoshoot with a wonderful photographer in my city.

I got some preview photos here:

And there will be more later!

Also, I was looking back at photos of myself in lolita, and found some before and after photos of me in the same outfit from when I went on a diet and exercise plan. Believe it or not, I lost 15kg (33lbs) in 2008.

And no, I didn't do it just to fit into lolita... but more so I fit into Japanese clothes in generalD: Seriously, most Japanese clothes come in only one size, which is about an Australian size 8. Lolita clothes are actually pretty big for Japan, considering they actually have elastic or shirring in them. Causal clothes brands are just tiiiiny. But since most girls in Japan are both short and very slim, I guess it just makes sense:/

Oh well, I guess in the end I'm fitter now, even if I don't need to be a size 8 to find clothes that fit in AustraliaX___x;;

Lolita Week in Review #8

2009-07-27T17:30:00.002+10:00

This week started off with me hanging out in the city wearing Aristocrat fashion!

Also known as "EGA" (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat), because the brand Moi meme Moitie calls it that, this fashion is a more mature version of Gothic Lolita. Instead of short bell-shaped skirts, it features long skirts which can be full or body-hugging. It has much more in common with Western Gothic fashion than Lolita fashion, as there is no "Sweet" version, only the dark gothic look.

In other news this week, I spotted the a Lolita reporter working for the BBC!

I guess this means we can add TV Reporter to the list of Lolita Fashion Friendly Jobs!

Lolita Week in Review #7

2009-07-19T15:35:00.002+10:00

This week I had not one but two meet-ups to attend!

The first was to see the new Harry Potter movie. Of course I felt the need to wear black for this one:

I got some new hair pieces- this time they are clip-on pony tails. The bangs are also fake. When doing this style you need something to hide the join of your real hair and your fake hair, so a headdress is called for (unless you can invent something better).

Then yesterday we had another big meet-up, and went to eat cupcakes!

I wore my favourite colour- sax blue!

My arm is reaching critical mass>_>;;;;

Also: I finally made a Twitter account, so you can add me here: http://twitter.com/_Xelyna

Weekly Lolita Post #6

2009-07-12T22:26:00.003+10:00

This week I didn't have a chance to dress lolita at all! :O But nevermind, because I'm always working on something.

I visited some antique shops this week, and ended up buying a really cute 1950s porcelain figure!

I love collecting Japanese antiques and retro items, and this one was just so kitsch and cute with the anime eyes that I couldn't help myselfXD

I know a lot of lolitas who collect tea cups an tea sets and other antiques, and it really is fun visiting antique stores, so I highly recommend it the next time you're wondering what to do in your free time:D

I edited the pictures my friend took of me last week, and you can see the rest here.
Classic Lolita

Lolita Week in Review #5

2009-07-06T14:12:00.002+10:00

This week I got the exciting news that one of my favourite Japanese artists is back and with a new website!

Chisami became well-know for her Japanese-style Alice in Wonderland and Gothic Lolita drawings after posting them on her DeviantArt Account. Her unique woodblock print mixed with manga style, as well as her gothic imagery made her a favourite of lots of fans of Japanese fashion.

She is now back with a website as well: Wa-Alice. ("Wa" is a prefix you can add to words that means "Japanese-style". i.e. "wa-shitsu" is "Japanese Room" and "wa-goth" is Japanese Goth)

For me, I went to an art exhibition opening at the Institute of Modern Art. One of my lolita friends was part of an exhibit, so me and my friends dressed up lolita to go view it. Here is a picture of me inside one of the exhibits:

Also this week I did a photoshoot with a photographer friend of mine! I was wearing Classic Lolita and posed in front of some beautiful architecture in Brisbane.

Here is a preview:

By next week I should have more photos ready and uploaded:D

Lolita Week in Review #4

2009-06-28T20:37:00.003+10:00

This week it was rainy and miserable outside, so I didn't go out in lolita much. However, I used my time inside to finish a new dress!

Presenting: The Mermaid-kei Lolita Dress!

Much ado has been made recently about "Fairy-kei" ("kei" is Japanese for "style"), which had been made popular by the brand Spank. Inspired by 1980s and 1990s cartoons and bright neon colours, Fairy-kei is a fashion made of layers or seemingly random clothes with a fairy-tale twist. For pictures of the style worn, check out this video on YouTube: Spank Fairy-kei Fashion Brand

Some people are saying that this style is beginning to cross over into lolita with pastel and neon colours becoming popular. But even if the influence is the same, the outcome is still different. Fairy-kei is closer to Decora style in it's mixing of layers and random accessories, whereas Lolita will always have the same kind of dresses or skirts and blouses to keep the basic silhouette.

So in reaction to the Fairy-kei movement, I made my own Mermaid-kei dress!

It combines the basic lolita silhouette with sparkly fabrics which are never really seen in lolita to create a new concept. Of course I don't expect this to take off and be the next big thing, but I thought it was an interesting experiment!

In other lolita fashion news, this week saw the start of Summer Sales and Fukuburos in Japan. A fukubukuro is a kind of lucky-dip bag that lolita brands sell with a random selection of clothes inside for around $100. The clothes inside are usually worth $500, but you don't get to choose what's inside. This can lead to either great savings or great disappointment if you get something you don't like or doesn't fit you. Most brands fill the fukubukuros, or "Lucky Packs" with clothes that didn't sell, but some also make special clothes just for the packs.

Lucky Packs are sold at least twice a year- once in Summer and once at New Years. These are also the times that brands have their sales. Webshops also sell these packs and have sales online, so even if you can't get to Japan, you can still get a bargain!

Lolita Week in Review #3

2009-06-21T20:52:00.003+10:00

A little bit of a quiet week this time, but it started off with a Lolita meet-up on Monday!
We went to the Modern Art Gallery in Brisbane, and I wore an Emily Temple Cute outfit!

All the pictures from this day are posted here on EGL.

Now, this outfit I was wearing may not look like a traditional lolita outfit, so let me explain why:

Emily Temple Cute is considered widely in Japan to be a lolita brand, but kind of separate from the other types of lolita. (For a while people were calling it "Otome-kei", but I've never seen it classified as such on a Japanese website.) There are three main brands- Emily Temple Cute, Milk and Jane Marple who fit into the "Lolita- but not always" category. For example, they also produce dresses more suited to gyaru fashion, decora fashion or even older ladies fashion. However, because they also produce lolita clothes, they are still considered lolita brands.

For example, these are lolita pieces by each brand:

And these are non-lolita pieces by each brand:

So as you can see, not all lolita brands only make lolita clothes! However, if you like that brand and their style, it's fun to wear their other clothes when you don't want to or can't dress in full lolita style fashion^_^

Lolita Week in Review #2

2009-06-14T22:39:00.002+10:00

This week was another jam-packed week in lolita!

Early in the week I got a new wig from Japanese brand Prisila. I tried it out with a one-piece from Angelic Pretty, to do a "Hime Lolita" co-ordinate.

More pics are on my website here: Odekake Chocola-chan

In different news, there was a big fuss in the lolita communities over Lady Gaga appearing in lolita in Japan. In her first TV appearance, she wore a white Angelic Pretty dress, but with mismatching ganguro make-up. In her second appearance she wore a red Angelic Pretty dress with normal make-up, and looked much more the part!

Video 1:

Video 2:

Personally I was very happy to see a big US celebrity doing lolita so well! It's always been my dream to see a day when Lolita Fashion is as accepted in Western countries as it is in Japan. When I lived in Japan and wore lolita, people would come up to me on the street with positive things to say, but in Australia I get a mixture of questions and accusations, as well as some praise. Hopefully as the fashion continues to spread, people won't be so confused by it any more!

Finally, on the weekend I went to my friend's lolita party! It was lots of fun, and although I didn't get any pictures of our outfits, I got a shoe shot at the end of the night:

Xelyna's Lolita Week in Review #1

2009-06-07T21:43:00.003+10:00

Well, it's been a busy week for me! I finished re-making my website and went live with it on Thursday. You can see it here: Xelyna the Gothic Lolita

I also made a MySpace page, so you can add me there too: http://www.myspace.com/xelyna_gothic_lolita

On Saturday it was International Lolita Day, so I dressed up and went out for dinner with some lolita friends^_^

This is what I wore:

That's all I have to say for now!