bloomzy /

Current Faves….

Eurgh, technology and I are not cooperating well today. I figured I’d do a long awaited ‘April Gets’ but I forgot my camera lead. Then I thought of maybe talking about some current trends in the latest issues of JELLY & Happie Nuts but my laptop charger broke, and now all the USB ports are messing up DDD:
I have a feeling that it’s karma for leaving you guys waiting so long. Sorry!!
So instead I’m going to do a short but sweet post on some of my current favourite items this season.
Reminiscent of last seasons WC sandals, and keeping with the open-toe boot trend.
I love these boots, especially in white. They’d be perfect for the current MODE trend.
This t-shirt is also perfect for the MODE look.
H&M have a very similar one in-store now.
I haven’t really been feeling WC lately, but I do love the Kumatan scarf.
Perfect for the current scarf trend, whether you wear it in your hair,
around your neck or as an accessory on your bag.
This 5 item set from the GLAD NEWS Rakuten store is a bargain.
For around £39 you can get an entire Summer outfit.
Including; maxi dress, cropped tee, bag, flip-flops and a hat.
I really like the mix of denim and floral in this, surprise, surprise ;D
You can find some similar items on YesStyle.
Want everyone to know how much you love this seasons MODE trend?
Then this simple but chic tee is for you ;D
And finally, this ethnic onepiece by GIMLET.
I just love the pattern and overall look.
Ethnic has hit the UK highstreet too, so keep an eye out for similar pieces.
Source; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
bloomzy /

UPDATE

I am afraid I won’t be blogging for a few days as I am moving out of my house at university and going back home for the Summer.
I will try and update when I get back and am settled in, which will most likely be Sunday.
In the mean time, I’d like to tell you a little about my plans for the blog this Summer. If you have me on twitter then you already know my plans, but for those who don’t;

The Gaijin Gyaru Series
I want to get a more positive vibe back out into the Gaijin Gal community. Therefore I am going to be doing a series of interviews celebrating some of the best Gal’s out there right now.
I have already picked these girls out and I personally think it’s going to be a great line-up…so stay tuned to find out who they are and what I will be asking them!!
I ALSO would like to do a feature on a few up and coming Gals. These wouldn’t be full length interviews, mainly introductions to the person. I’m mainly looking for people who are new to the fashion, who write blogs. I’d like to offer up a bit more variety and get word out there about the new Gals who are rockin’ the scene ;D
If you’re interested, please feel free to leave a comment here or on my twitter.
EDIT: I’d just like to add something about the ‘New Gal Intros’ that I plan to do:
– I am not looking for experts, or people who claim to be 100% Gal because no one starts off amazing – unless you’re super lucky/talented ;D
– I want to feature people who are just starting out and are looking for advice/encouragement and so we can see how amazing you Gals really are, because it’s not only the well-known Gaijin Gyaru who can do it right.
So please don’t feel bad if you’re new to it – it’s all about progressing and getting better with time. I’m not new, but I still feel as though I have a long way to go XD
FINAL EDIT: I am going to be doing a post in a few weeks where I will be asking the Gals who want to be featured on the ‘upcoming gals’ post to send me some info.
So keep a look out ;D
bloomzy /

Eyelash review….

Eyelash Review
Around the beginning of the year I wouldn’t have worn eyelashes. I had tried in the past but they had all been too long and too big etc. But then the lovely Miss Mitsu encouraged me to keep trying, so I did.
I currently use medium priced lashes, which I then cut to size as most eyelashes in the UK are made far too long for my eyes. Therefore when I saw some MAC#7 impersonation lashes I decided to do a short review on two cheaper sets of lashes.

The reason I choose MAC#7 impersonation lashes is because of how popular they are. Not only with Gals, but in general. They’re always in trend because of their popularity and their natural glamourous look, which can also be used for a dramatic effect.
Therefore I choose Ardell’s take on the #7, ‘Demi Pixies’ and a cheap off-brand version found in a discount store. I have provided pictures of the lashes in their case, on – without make-up and on – with make-up.
First up, the off-brand discount store lashes;

Cost: £1/$1.45
The first thing I noticed about these were that they looked extremely plasticy, maybe something you would use as a very cheap accompaniment to fancy dress. The individual lashes are quite thin and these aren’t made from human hair – it didn’t say but I’m guessing latex!?
I had to cut these into accent lashes, as they were too long for my eye.

It was quite difficult to get these on. The band was very rigid and had hardly any give, so they didn’t bend very well when I tried to apply them. When I put them on they didn’t blend well at all with my natural lashes. They did have a very dramatic look though.

Once I had applied a quick coat of make-up the lashes blended slightly better, but they still felt very fake – ok that probably sounds weird, because yes they are fake, but they looked fake and felt very unnatural compared to other false lashes I have used.
In person they looked better with make-up on, and I would probably wear these if I was going to do some dramatic make-up that overshadowed them slightly, making them not as noticeable. If you want a pair of lashes for fancy dress or you have run out of money then these are probably the alternative for you.
Next up, Ardell’s ‘Demi Pixies’;

Cost: £5/$7.23
I first heard about Ardell through the gorgeous Monica, who did a great review on them. But my girl Alanna was the one who really convinced me – I just know she’s gonna show me up when she wears them, with her amazing make-up skills ;D
These were also too long for my eyes (I swear I don’t have teeny-tiny eyes), so I cut these again. This is one of the main reasons I won’t use real MAC#7’s, as I am too scared to cut up something that is so much better/a bit pricier.

These lashes were much easier to apply. The band was flexible, although a little bit more rigid than other lashes I have used. But I shall forgive them for that, as the quality is very good. They are very similar to the #7 and they are made from 100% human hair – no plastic rubbish. They were also much thicker than the other pair.
They blended much better with my natural lashes than the discount store ones, and they felt natural too. I would consider wearing these with not much make-up at all.

However, I did apply some make-up so you guys could see what they were like.
The photo may not be great quality, or do them justice but they looked great. They blended completely and even though they were a little longer than I would usually wear, I have to admit that I liked the thickness.
Ultimately the thickness, quality and feel of these makes them far superior to the discount store brand, which I expected. They were 5x the price, but even so I would say that this is still cheaper than what I would expect to pay for a good pair of lashes. I would definitely buy some of the other lashes they offer in their range, as the quality and natural look has me hooked.

(Your)Left; Ardell
Right; Discount store brand
And to finish this post off, a silly picture of me wearing both the lashes. Haha the wide-eyed stare is so you can check the lashes out properly. I hope I don’t cause any nightmares as a consequence ;D
Would you wear either of these?
Do you prefer quality or quantity?
NOTE: I was rather rushed when applying these/doing my make-up, so with a little more time and effort they could look even better.
bloomzy /

Nail woes and site update…

First off I would just like to mention that I have made a small change to comments.
From now on whenever I make a new post you will be able to sign in with you name, website or using an openID or wordpress account etc. You will also be able to subscribe through email to replies to your comment, or the post. EVEN BETTER you will now be able to reply to peoples comments – so keep them coming 😀
Nail Woes
Now onto the real reason for this post, my nail woes.
I was inspired by Samispo0n’s post about her own nail woes, and also Mitsu’s recent nail trend post.
You may remember my previous post about getting my nails done professionally (acrylics) with Samispo0n, Mininie Mouse style. They were so~ cute and I got a ton of compliments, even from the old Chinese man at the oriental store haha. So I couldn’t complain, as they were reasonably priced.
However, taking them off was where the trouble began. I looked around a few places and went to a small store in the mall where the guy tried to convince me that ‘those Chinese places’ mess up your nails and they just ‘leave you sitting there all day’. I didn’t believe any of this but I just wanted them taken off so I stayed there.


These were my nails after. Short and boring D:
My troubles didn’t stop there though.
The woman taking my acrylics off left my nails in the solution for far too long and then failed to take all of it off. This meant that my own nails were deprived of oxygen and had turned a nasty shade of purple/blue. She then filed my own nails down further than I asked and also ruined my cuticles, making my cuticles bleed badly – which have now scabbed over, attractive D:
She then asked me if I wanted them polished, to which I agreed as sometimes a manicure/polish is included in the price – and I had just bought a new bottle of Barry M. So I gave her my polish and she did them for me (see above image), not a bad job but nothing special.
Finally when I went to pay they charged me an extra £6 ($9) for her polishing my nails, with my polish, which took a minute at most. So needless to say I was rather annoyed.
So it just goes to show that not all nail endeavours go down so well. But please, don’t let this put you off just be careful where you go ;D

My nails are now slightly healthier but they’re still not long enough for me to try any real design or even round with a file – I dislike having my nails filed into a square but she did this anyway.
I did the above design myself, with the 2 new Barry M polishes I purchased. I am wearing their new Strawberry & Berry colours, from the Ice Cream range. I loved the subtle pink and purple – going to buy the blue and green next

bloomzy /

Donki’s Fast Fashion….

Donki’s Fast Fashion

I am sure that most of my readers have heard or even been to Don Quijote (Donki for short) in Japan. For those that haven’t, Donki is a discount chain store selling everything from groceries, to electronics and cosmetics.
A lot of Gals shop at Donki because it offers discounted cosmetics and clothing etc. from well known brands – You can find lines by Momoeri and Sakurina in-store, as well as Candydoll by Tsubasa. Not only do they sell known brands they also sell their own versions of 3d nails and lashes, namely the famous MAC-7 impersonation lashes – which are incredibly cheap, check them out @ Mitsu’s post.
However this post will be focusing on Donki’s fast fashion range of clothing. If you remember I mentioned in an earlier post when I bought a set at Christmas;
Based on a onepiece by GLAD NEWS
Donki’s fast fashion is better known as the ‘Tokyo Cover Girl’ brand – it is actually made in China based on popular Japanese coordinates. All of the sets come with 3 items (on average), which range between tops, bottoms, onepieces and accessories. Each set is 3,890円 (£29/$42) which really is a bargain as it can sometimes be hard to find one item in 109 for this price.
And don’t worry about going out of fashion or not having enough choice – they release 15 new sets every month all of which are free size. I should just mention at this point that I am 5’2 and the above onepiece is far to short on me to be worn without leggings etc. so it isn’t made for ‘tall’ foreigners ;D
Some of my favourites from the current sets available are:
This coordinate is extremely cute, and features two current trends:
floral and boater hat.
There’s a slight Delyle vibe to this one.
MeJane style this time featuring two big Summer trends:
Denim and Maxi dress
As you can probably see from these photos, Donki likes to follow the current Gal trends which is important as these are their main clientele. However you probably also noticed the quality of the sets. I was cheeky and I found an open set so I could check mine out beforehand. They do usually have a few sets on show, but this means that if you pick one that isn’t then you have to go by the picture on the front – meaning you can’t feel the quality or texture. Whereas fast fashion may be cheap and cute, you have to remember that you are paying for what you get, so don’t expect anything of great quality. They will use the cheapest fabrics and cut corners, which is true in any market where they try to mass produce cheaper items – for example, the denim shirt above may look denim but it actually isn’t. It’s look-a-like denim, which for someone picky like me just doesn’t cut it. I also don’t like how the skirt is attached to the ‘Delyle’-esque onepiece, it just looks cheap.
BUT if you understand that this is what you are paying for and don’t expect to receive the same quality as you would in 109 then these sets really are a great investment. You also need to remember that most Gals can tell when you’ve just bought the cheap Donki version, and you may not look as good as those with all the brand names. Don’t get me wrong, tons of Gals work offbrand items into their coordinates everyday, and fast fashion has become a big hit in Japan. So for those visiting Japan, or the students/フリーター this is a good, cheap alternative.
What do you guys think of Donki’s fast fashion?
I personally want to get my hands on the floral onepiece set, which looks so~ cute 😀
Source; 1, 2
bloomzy /

What were they thinking?

「What were they thinking?」
For this edition of ‘What were they thinking?’ I am offering up two items, one of which may be slightly controversial of me ;D
Why is that? Because it comes from…

…GILFY. I personally love this store, and I know that most of you will too. But that doesn’t mean that they can get away with everything haha.
This skirt just kind of stood out for me on Gilfy’s 109 store, but not in a good way. Sometimes I feel like the 109 stores don’t really pick the best of the latest items from the brands.
Anyway, the real reason I dislike this skirt is because of the swimming trunk vibe it has. I don’t know, but if it were shorts instead then I’m sure you could sell it as swimming trunks for guys. I think this is mainly down to the way the material looks, which may not be the case up close.
Then the description mentions that this skirt sports the Argentinean flag….huh?! I don’t know why either (they also have other countries), but as they go on to say, if you’re a fan of the up and coming World Cup (and supporting Argentina!?) then this is the skirt for you ;D
I like the blue and the white, maybe it’s just the tie or the buttons that put me off. I don’t know but don’t listen to me, this is sold out on the 109 store, so it must be a hit.
Next up, a small accessory from SBY.
SBY are of course well known for their accessories, and this flowered poodle is featured on the 109 store – of course. I don’t dislike this terribly and I don’t really have any other complaints then…it just looks rather demonic haha XD
Source; 1, 2
bloomzy /

Gilfy Store Produced by JELLY….

Better late than never, right? Haha sorry for the delay but as you already know I am busy with deadlines and exams. My last deadline was yesterday and I managed to hand everything in, but now I have to revise for the Japanese exams. Wish me luck ;D
Back on topic, I received the ‘Gilfy Store Produced by JELLY’ catalogue a few weeks ago, which was an Easter present from my lovely boyf. I thought I would post some of my favourite, and not so favourite pieces.
What’s Hot?
Coordinates first and I automatically fell in love with Maya and Yuki’s outfits.


Maya is sporting Gilfy, 06.
Her vintage 80’s look is uber hot and shows off some of this seasons biggest trends;
floral, denim, cardigans and the scarf head-bow.

Yuki is in Gilfy.
I love the sweet adult look of this, which is offset perfectly by the denim hot pants and black boots.
Points include; transparent lace top, scarf head-bow and rosary beads.
Next up, my top items from the catalogue.

I adore this studded bow headband by Gilfy, 06.
And if you UK Gals act quickly you can pick a similar one up at River Island.

Everyone knows and loves the Gilfy Tutu dress.
I would love one in pink, but it would probably make my ass look massive.

These clear belt bracelets look rather 90’s but I love them.
The perfect statement jewellery, which is a big trend right now.
Check out Mitsu’s piece on it.

Denim & Florals?!
Sign me up ;D
What’s Not?
Unfortunately I didn’t love everything in the new catalogue.

Even if it’s Gilfy, writing on your crotch is just not a good look.

These prints remind me of the funk upholstery you used to get in the 80’s.

Finally, Backs’ Suede Short Boots.
I’m sure there are Gals who could work them, they’re just not for me.
Note: Gilfy’s version of these has sold out.
The Gilfy family member that won it for me, this season:
I loved almost everything in their collection.
But it’s mainly the denim bustier tee, studded headband, jacket
and lace skirt that I DO.WANT.
Finally, the big surprise!?
Flats, flats and more flats.
Ok it’s not that much of a surprise since Gilfy, 06 have been trying to get their silver and gold flats out there for a while. Now they’re pushing out black as well, and maybe after seeing JELLY’s models working them in the pages of the catalogue they will hit the big time!?
I don’t know, I’m not a big fan of them and I think this particular style tends to make your feet and legs look rather stumpy. I personally love the embellished flats trend that’s happening right now though. I have a pair of black stud embellished flats which don’t make my legs look too short and they’re great because they’re a cute and comfortable shoe for me to wear to classes. But I wouldn’t wear them on a day/night out.
I am a little happy that this trend has caught on, because it works well for those Gals (mainly Western) who are tall and just don’t have the confidence for heels – a friend of mine is always saying she’s too tall for heels.
Even so, I prefer heels but then I am a measly 5’2 so I don’t have any worries XD
If they are your thing, check out;
Charmant‘s take on the flats.
R&E‘s wide selection.
and Rezoy‘s gorgeous collection.
What’s your favourite piece from this Season?
Are you wearing flats? If not, why?