From Tokyo with Love [1]

I thought I would give my new mini-series (that I talked about here) a name. So welcome to….
‘From Tokyo with Love’– original, right? ;D
As often as I can, I plan to make filler posts during the week and between my larger posts. These will feature pictures from Tokyo, mainly Gal related but sometimes not – I can’t go a year in Tokyo without showing you guys something other than Gals, clothes and shops XD
For the first post in the series, I took a few shots when I made a quick stop to Shibuya 109 this week.
An advertisement for Vivi’s 109 book.
A couple of girls being interviewed.
It’s not out of the ordinary to see camera crews in Shibuya.
AYU x JELLY are featured on 109’s store-front right now.

Some interesting English outside TWISTY in 109.
In terms of Engrish, I think this is a pretty decent attempt – they just need spell check ;D
Chinatsu Wakatsuki promoting Diamond Lash (eyelashes) on 109’s top floor.
You’re encouraged to take your photo here!
W♥C need to get their new stock in!!
My friend was converted by this ad…well she wanted the jumper.
Stopped by the SBY cafe for a crepe.
The side window is decorated with photos of EGG models and…
…random Gal’s purikura.
– I don’t mind posting this (in terms of privacy) as you can’t see anyone’s face properly –
Last months issue of HAPPIE NUTS dispels the ‘red lipstick’ myth.
Finally a ‘happy’ note from the SBY Gals ;D

June gets & Giveaway…

June Gets
I missed out May entirely, but here are my June purchases ;D

GILFY faux-shirt shorts – bought from Lucie-Liu.
Detail pic
I didn’t like these when they originally came out, but they grew on me.
I like how they’re versatile enough to fit in with several coordinates.
Final verdict: Very cute and they look great on.

Topshop had a sale on Tokyo lashes, so I purchased some criss-cross ones.
I have yet to wear them but I’ll do a quick review when I do.
Detail pic
Note: I loved these so much I bought another set for my upcoming giveaway (see info below).

Some stud style bracelets from H&M.
I only own a few bracelets and they are very feminine and a little too expensive to wear everyday. Therefore I wanted something a bit more casual, that I could use as a point for my coordinate.
I need more bracelets~

If you remember I mentioned wanting this, in pink.
Well the amazingly wonderful Cherriparfait sold me hers.
She really is such a lovely person and I really appreciate her kindness.
ありがとうね~!!

GLAD NEWS top, which Cherriparfait also sent me.
We had both wanted to buy this from Mitsu a while ago, and she remembered.
♥ ♥ ♥

Finally, my most recent purchase; my ‘twin dress’ w/Claire – we both bought one.
It has a lace trim and a VERY bodycon feel to it when worn.
It just seemed to fit my current Mode obsession,
and it was only £3.99 from H&M :O
Giveaway
I decided the other day that I would do a giveaway once I reach 300 followers.
This is just to say thank you to all those who follow the blog and of course, read it. The giveaway will feature beauty products (like the above eyelashes) and much more – but for now it’s all hush hush ;D
I never thought that within 7 months I would have almost 300 followers – it really is amazing for a girl like me, who has never publicly blogged before. I wasn’t sure about whether to share my love of Gal with the blogging community, but thanks to you guys I can’t stop ;D
So for those of you who aren’t already following me, or have just dropped by…please click on the link on the right hand side and as soon as the count reaches 300 I shall be doing a giveaway.
I will post it here (of course) and I will announce it on my twitter and tumblr – so keep an eye out.

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.