What I'm Wearing: Westerosi Map Dress!

Westeros Map Dress [Anime North - available at Blackmilk]

Kimchi Blue Extra Long Navy Cardigan [Urban Outfitters]

Heels [Camden Market; London, England]

I know that this blog has been nothing but Game of Thrones lately, but the season just ended, so let's just let me have this one last Game of Thrones related post to wrap-up the season! I have a lot of trouble quitting Game of Thrones cold turkey every year. 

 I got this dress from a convention-- it's weird because anime conventions now do non-anime stuff. All conventions seem to sort of just melt into the same amalgamation of "general nerd stuff" these days. I sometimes worry, because the hem isn't sewn, so it looks like the bottom could fray much quicker than other dresses, but its held up pretty well so far, so we'll see! 

And as I always have and will be, blue is my go-to colour. 

What I'm Wearing: Everday Japan Fashion

Tights [eBay]

Denim tie-front top [Forever 21]

Drop-waist white lace skirt [Thrifted; similar @ Kimchi Blue or here if you're unfathomably rich]

So I recently visited Japan to see where my parents were married in Tokyo!

If there's one thing you can pinpoint about Japanese fashion, it's that there's nothing you can pinpoint about it. It's unpredictable, from the ultra-feminine Lolita styles of which have grown popular here in the west, to the energetic Kei styles, to high fashion, anyway you'd like to dress is ok in Japan. 

That isn't to say that Japan is without its trends! Especially those who are into less extreme fashion, but still obsess over clothes, the subtle femininity is key here. Cute, not sexy (but secretly a little bit sexy) is what we're going for here.

Right now, I can really tell that Japan is huge on low-waisted and long, flowy skirts: the kinds that rest comfortably around your hips. I'm one of the biggest advocates for a snug high-waisted pleated, but these feel so carefree and not-finnicky! I need more!

But of course, us Asian girls are never without just a little bit of the sass our mothers gave us, so I'm channelling the B-Boy/dancer in me (just kidding I have no bodily rhythm) with the plaid layer, to tie around my waist when it gets hot. 

This was also the day we visited the Kifune water temple in Kyoto! We had to climb so far to get to the mountain village, but it was beautiful. You're supposed to drink some of the water or take some with you for good fortune. So I now have ¥300 worth of water sitting on my desk.

New Japanese Concealer!

There have been a lot of make-up posts lately... the next one will be about Game of Thrones though! It's just that I got a huge haul from Japan. So next up: 

Ettusais Premium: Perfect Clear Up Concealer

[2300 yen, or about $23]

The package is cute but not cluttery-looking like the Panda Dream stick. It's kind of elegant. 

One thing that makes me kind of hesitant about buying skin products in/from East Asia is that my skin tone doesn't really suit it. I usually try to avoid tanning, but even if I'm light enough, my skin has a neutral undertone when most products in Asia are for gold/yellow undertones. 

This is a really interesting product because it's a concealer that sells 1 product for all shades! You apply the lighter concealer to cover up dark circles and imperfections and then the darker colour to match your skin.

If you have the time and a bright mirror, and like cream products, it really clears up your skin!

However, even though it's more precise, it's a bit of a thicker consistency than I'm used to. Maybe it's just me, but it's not the easiest to apply for under the eyes. It seems like it's best used on small spots like blemishes. 

I usually use Mabelline Age Rewind ($10) from the drug store, which (for its price) is still my favourite everyday concealer, but I am happy that I also bought the Ettusais concealer too.

It's a great product, but I have trouble finding it online. I got it at Loft, a Japanese department/living store. If you can find it, it seems like it'll last really really long, so it's worth the 2300 yen/$23.

Overall

Ease of Use: 2.5/5

Ease of Finding: 1/5

Effectiveness: 4.5/5

Packaging: 4/5

Price: 3/5

Tony Moly Panda's Dream So Cool Eye Stick

Bah!! Well I've just come back from New York and Japan (they were one day apart, my body is so, so tired...) and I have tons of updates! I've bought a whole ton of skincare and makeup products, eaten so much good food, and seen so many beautiful things! I know it's hard to get your hands on Japanese/Korean products in North America so I went crazy and am going to review them all :) 

First of all: Tony Moly Panda's Dream So Cool Eye Stick! ($15 CAD/USD)

For some reason I visited Holika Holika while in Japan: yes, I know it's a Korean company. I couldn't help myself.

I wanted the brightening eye stick for so long to put under my concealer (dark circles are a problem with me, I don't want to talk about it...) but when the lady showed me this, I couldn't help it. I love the packaging so much, it's so portable and cute.

I don't usually like cooling things. Like cooling cucumber shampoo? blegh-- nobody wants to feel cold in the shower. But this base is actually quite soothing, I think because it's so gentle. 

I wasn't even sure what it was for at first, but the box says for "tired eyes"and it sounds like it relieves puffiness and wrinkles and such. 

At first I thought it wasn't doing anything. And actually, not long after, my eyes started feeling sore when I was awake for too long which I suspect is from using this stick. I thought maybe I should stop using it. 

And then I started noticing a difference! Not with the wrinkles (those are a lost cause...) and sometimes my skin still looks dry, but it seems to make my dark circles and puffiness go away. Look how good my skin was looking! However, it's either slow-acting or very gentle because it only does a little and you really need to remember to apply it regularly... especially if I'm right about it making you sleepy. 

It's also very easy to apply. It rolls right onto your face and takes about 3 seconds out of your day before applying makeup or moisturizer.

For what it is, though, I would only buy it as a luxury. I could probably find something more effective or cheaper, but if you're finicky about the consistency or you have sensitive skin (like me), or you're a sucker for cute packaging, it's a good investment!

Overrall

Ease of Use: 5/5

Effectiveness: 3/5

Packaging: 5/5

Price: 4/5

What I'm Wearing: 80's Lolita

Long-chain Beaded Necklace [Forever 21]

Castle in the Sky Tights [eBay]

Green Slouchy Tee [H&M]

Off-White Ripped Shorts [Urban Outfitters]

Outside of my tights, this is one of my few all-mall outfits. Most of what I wear is online, so this is some rare stuff. Each piece individually isn't very special, but solid colours go a long way if you're careful. 

The dull green of my shirt and the green in my hair kind of help draw attention to my legs: I feel like if it weren't still cold out, this would have been a great summer outfit without tights and with heels to both draw attention to my legs and make myself taller (5"0 problems... ;__;)

I was filming a short film in this outfit and the beads kept getting in the way of the audio though. Warning: everyone heard me coming!

What's On My Nails: Pale Fireworks

[Etude Glitter Polish]

A lot of East Asian beauty products don't work on my skin because my complexion isn't light enough (sigh...). I love my Tony Moly Bunny Gloss but the skin stuff, like BB and CC creams don't mix well with me. 

On the plus side, that's not really a problem with nail polish! I love Etude House cosmetics, and not just because the packaging is so cute.... but partially because the packaging is so cute. 

The glitter polish is called Party Lover but I can't find it anymore, so I don't know what I'll do when it runs out....

It's even cuter looking in person than I thought it would be and it goes great over any colour, and it's only $10 per bottle. The only problem is that I had to put on, like, 6 coats of polish to make any substantial glitter or polish show up.

The collection is called Etude House Dear My Nails. I think I'd suggest the solid colours though. Even though the sparkles are gorgeous (they choose great colour combos!), the solid colours are so pure and quality! 

What I'm Wearing: Cozy in Plaid

Beanie [Random hat vendor]

Plaid crop top [Forever 21]

Strappy suspender skirt [eBay]

Socks [Roots... sorry, American friends]

Plaid overshirt [Target]

I know usually pattern-on-pattern is a terrible idea but I love plaid so much. And they're sort of different types of plaid, right? One's dark and understated. I'm going to give myself an exception on this one. (It's ok, Angeli. Your outfit still looks nice.) (Thanks, Angeli.) 

Anyway, if you read my blog you probably know by now that I am all about cozy. During the winter months, I try to make sweatpants look as stylish and as non-homeless as possible (it only works sometimes). 

This outfit is all about that. The overshirt is more or less a blanket with sleeves. 

If you're American, I guess you've never worn Roots socks, but you better find a way to get your hands on them because they're the best thing ever. I feel like I'm in lumberjack couture. I feel like I"m slowly shedding my winter layers. Can you say true Canadian?

I also feel a little bit like that scene in Zoolander when Zoolander is working at the coal mine but he's still modelling in there for some reason.

What I'm Wearing: Deep Clouds

Choker [eBay]

Shirt [Walmart I think? Men's Large]

Skirt [H&M]

Tights [eBay]

Whale case [eBay]

This is a pretty eBay heavy outfit (but that means.. super cheap!). Stuff from eBay tends to rip when you don't pay a lot of money, so I actually had very low expectations of the cloud tights, but they are amazing! I want to order the other 4 colours. They've also got these cute little castles and carriages on the ankles! ☆☆☆

In case I haven't freaked out about this either yet, I just got my whale phone case in the mail (it's actually for iPhone 4 and I just got the 5 but I kind of stretched it over the phone to make it fit....)! The mouth holds your cards and one of the eyes are a hole for your camera. How cute, right?!

What I'm Wearing: Pastel Punk

Choker [eBay]

Sweater [Garage]

Mana Potion Earrings [Etsy]

Skirt [Garage]

Tights [eBay]

The green hair is really doing something for that "punk rock" look-- which I don't mind because I'm often told I look like a tiny anime character.

 I don't buy a whole lot from Garage; even though after their prices practically doubled it's still cheaper than a lot of stuff, I feel like a lot of their clothes are pretty common. They're all about plaid/flannel/casual/simple, which is way up my alley, but you can always get stuff like that for way cheaper in thrift shops, boutiques, etc.

I am all about the 90's-era choker these days though. I'm pretty finnicky with stuff around my neck so I think I've already started stretching mine out. Luckily they're only $1! (Unless you buy them at Brandy Melville for $5. But don't do that).

The mana potion earrings are definitely bulky and can only probably be worn with my hair up, but the light passes through them so prettily, they add a lot of colour to the muted palette of my baby blues and blacks.

Hair Update: Mermaid Green!

Gah! So about a month ago I got what I like to call my tiger hair because when it's wet, it's orange stripes on black stripes. It wasn't what I wanted so I was freaking out (and contemplating crying and hiding until it grew out) but eventually it really grew on me. Especially after a friend's first reaction was "DAMN IT, every colour looks good on you, you could dye your hair orange!" 

So I decided to test this little theory and dye my hair the one colour that I thought I wouldn't: GREEN!

Good choice, Angeli. 

I actually tried to for "watermelon coloured" by making a pink and teal ombre, but my hair was too brassy (I was too lazy to buy toning shampoo............). I was also too lazy to use two seperate dye brushes  this time, so the pink ended up mixing with the teal creating a kind of grey-purple. 

So now my hair is this black-grey-blonde-green gradient thing that I'm really digging. 

In fact, this guy on the subway with Anderson Cooper hair and giant earrings and on point eyeliner told me that my hair was stunning so that was pretty much the proudest moment of my life. 

I'm super happy with it this way!! Hopefully this is my last time dying my hair for a little while but I'm pretty addicted at this point, I think. 

Outfit: Summer Snows

Miami Shirt [Cut up from my dad's closet... sorry dad.]

Teal Bandeau [Forever 21]

Scarf 

Red Shorts [HR2 - Holt Renfrew]

Tights [eBay]

I'm pretty addicted to dressing like it's summer all the time, which is unfortunate when you live in Canada. I try to wear long socks over my tights and then a long coat, but there's still an awkward gap and my knees are always cold. <<sigh>>

My tights are always ripping though. Which I guess has this cool look to itself but I would kill for a pair of stockings that aren't going to tear when I tug on them too hard (I'm not really good with the whole 'gentle touch' thing....). 

I try to tell myself that these are only summer snows, and true winter hasn't come yet... even though I hope this is as winter as it gets. It's always so cold... the things I do in the name of wearing cute tights. :(

It's so cold that people are skating on Lake Ontario!

What I'm Wearing: Panda School Girl

Shirt [Bluenotes]

Cardigan [Urban Outfitters]

Necklace [Little Burgundy]

Skirt [Forever 21]

Socks [A little sock boutique in South Carolina]

Hairclip [Thailand import store in Kingston]

<<<and an assortment on pastel-coloured bracelets>>>>

Some days, there's a serious, serious need to be cute.

I'm a serious sock fiend, so when I finally found a pair of thigh-high knitted socks, I knew I would never take these babies for granted. They were only $10 too, I wish I bought 10 more. ;_;

I got the lil' school girl look on lock... it probably doesn't hurt that I still look like I'm in high school. I tried curling my hair, though, and in some ways, it's a lot harder with short hair. Good thing I got all my practice in when I had long hair!

Hair Change: Highlights?!

So this past year has been a cycle of some pretty crazy colours, but before that, I had dyed my hair a regular boring old brown! I decided to try something else a little bit more toned down, so I went from my natural black to some blonde highlights.

I actually didn't want that-- I wanted full blonde hair, so I might go back in soon and get the rest of it bleached. But the blonde is growing on me! 

When I asked to "go blonde", the lady didn't want to damage my hair so she gave me highlights. At first I was PANICKING. Especially because they're brassy highlights on black hair and when it was still wet, I looked like a tiger ._.

I was told I probably wouldn't like it because it was a little too "glam" to go with my usual style, but pairing it with a red velvet lipstick makes me feel so fierce. :) 

Maybe I'll put some turqouise in it, though? rainbow? I'm so indecisive...

PS. Ignore the obnoxious snapchat caption on the left.

What I'm Wearing: Lace and Leather

Crystal Necklace: [Little Burgundy]
Lace-sleeved baseball top [Pac Sun]
Stud shorts [Homemade from a pair of old jeans]
Tights [eBay]
Leather boots [Doc Martens]

The day I wore this outfit (obviously this is a photo from warmer times....), I had to do some film shooting outdoors. This is the perfect thing for a breezy day, no outfit-clutter that's going to get in the way when the filming starts, no ruining my camera shots.

If anyone would like a tutorial on how to make your own studded, rolled jean shorts, let me know in the comments! 

Follow Up: Sailor Senshi Shiny Hair

Alright so we're about to get a little insight on pretty much my entire hair arsenal. If you've got hair that could use a little bit of loving (especially colour, chlorine, or sun damaged hair), but you don't want to drop that $400 on a Keratin treatment (hint: never ever do), there are a lot of alternatives.

Remember when my hair was a real, actual shade of blue?

Then it became this weird combination of dirty-hippie meets beachy-mermaid, because blue washes out faster than any other shade:

 Before I re-dyed it again (see my post on dying my hair pink-purple).

Pretty miraculously, it's managed to stay nice after all that fading and salt water. I'm surprised it's this soft for sure, and surprised that the colour is clinging in such a nice, pastel way, but that doesn't mean I haven't been treating my hair with the delicacy of a newborn baby... because I have.

Here's what I did: 

1. First, some washing tips: avoid overwashing your hair, especially if you're already putting other conditioning products into it. Also, detangle your hair when it's damp or almost dry; towel it down first. 
2. So happy with the Kevin Murphy hair mask. This deep conditioning hair mask tamed my split ends and made my hair a lot shinier. Instead of regularly condition for 5-10m like the bottle says, once a week I've been soaking it into my hair and then applying heat to it for 20m before washing it out.
   Price: $30
3. Boar bristle brush to reduce frizz and fly aways. I only use it on rare occasions when my hair is a bed-headed mess, but it really does make a difference. The only two very important things to remember: don't use a boar bristle brush on wet hair or on hair that has not already been detangled.
   Price: Varies. As cheap as $13. 
4. Buy a pair of scissors that specifically cut hair. When you see a split-end starting, cut it off. It's tempting to use regular scissors, but those are rough enough that they will often make your ends worse in the long run.
   Price: Usually around $10
5. Pantene Perfect 10 BB Creme. This is it. This is my newest secret. This is my how-is-this-from-Shoppers-and-only-seven-dollars-because-it-does-everything Saving Grace. I apply it once or twice a day and all I have to do is brush it in. If you can only do one thing on this list, get this one.
   Price: $7
6. Before my hair was coloured, I used to use hot coconut oil at-home treatments, which is literally just warm coconut oil (like, that people cook with) that you massage into your hair for half an hour to an hour before washing out. 

And that's it! If you've got any other tips or tricks on hair that I'm missing, especially for delicate hair, let me know in the comments! 

What I'm Wearing: Blue Sunday (by The Doors)

Little known fact, I'm a huge fan of The Doors. Now, as cool as that might sound, let's just establish something: I'm still not cool. I'm still very, very uncool (and okay with that!). I probably can't name 5 Zeppelin songs, I've twisted my ankle while standing still on flat ground, and when I put on a leather jacket, I look more like those babies that hip parents dress up in designer clothing than any bit of badass. 

I was kind of going for a cross between someone who plays Jet Force Gemini on my N64 on a lazy Sunday morning and someone who has great taste in rock music.

Plaid Button-Up [Boyfriend; apparently Walmart]

Crystal Necklace [Little Burgundy]

White paint-splattered, frayed denim shorts [Forever 21]

Tights [eBay]

This one comes with a nice Sunday playlist of some of my favourite old songs (minus most of The Beatles stuff, which would make this playlist too long): [PLAYLIST HERE]

Can't Take My Eyes Off You: Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons

Love Me Two Times: The Doors

Tears in Heaven: Eric Clapton

Wonderful Tonight: Eric Clapton

Hallelujah: Jeff Buckley

Lilac Wine: Jeff Buckley

Penny Lane: The Beatles

Angie: The Rolling Stones 

Layla: Eric Clapton

Love Her Madly: The Doors

Everyday: Buddy Holly

Blue Sunday: The Doors

Beggin': Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

Change the World: Eric Clapton

Working My Way Back To You: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

Touch Me: The Doors

Hair change: Purple-Pink Ombre

So my hair finally got blonde enough that I had to draw a line and here we are!

I'm trying this new method where I just ask people what colour to make my hair and then I do it-- it makes it more exciting for me because it's less of a planned, thought out decision. A few friends said purple, but a toddler said pink, so I had to compromise, you know? The toddler knows best. 

I actually really like how it turned out, and a lot of people tell me that the colour suits me/that my ombre looks a lot better than it would if it were a solid colour. 

 

If we're wondering how I got the purple-pink ombre (a lot of people ask me because I know that a proper ombre is tough to do on yourself), it was actually pretty easy once you know what you're doing!

First of all: I FINALLY invested in a tint  brush. 

And if you ever dye your hair, let me just save you years of pain and hardship and tell you to get one the first time you dye your hair (or bleach it, if you're confident)

I got my tint brush for less than $5 at Shoppers. I haven't had my plain natural hair colour for maybe 5 years now and now that I've caved to buying one, things got so much easier (and more even), I would never have tried an ombre without one or the colour line would have probably not blended at all.

Second of all: I brushed the darker colour up towards the ombre and then I brushed the lighter colour down towards the ombre after, so that the dyes blended and mixed evenly.  

If you've ever painted, that's an easy way to remember it. With acrylic and oil paints (which have that thick pigment that dyes do), you paint darks to lights. 

Because I just used Manic Panic (Cotton Candy and Ultra Violet), I used a couple test strands, and then dyed my hair, and then re-dyed my hair two days later with the same pots, going over duller spots, to make it pop even more. Here's what it looked like after I put in the test strands:

And then I went over it the second time:

Anyway, because all of my choices link back to nerd-things and all of my fashion choices link back to characters I love, I feel like this one should be dedicated to Aoi Yamada, my favourite character on Working!!, which just recently got its 3rd season confirmed. 

If you haven't yet and you like lighthearted, mindless, cute slice of life animes, it's perfect. It reminded me a bit of Lucky Star, which was obviously brilliantly written if it took 2/3rd of the series for me to realize that the show had literally no plot, and only entertaining dialogue. 

Now if only I could be as cute as Yamada. ☆

What I'm Wearing: Film Student

Shirt [Birthday gift; apparently Target]

Shorts [Birthday gift; Forever 21]

Socks [My highschool uniform store, can be found on eBay]

Shoes [Camden Market, London]

Necklace [Little Burgundy]

Hey hey! So my best friend got me this rad t-shirt of the Batman symbol filled in with an off-air screen for my birthday, which is pretty much as 'me' as a shirt gets, because I'm a Film major and I love Batman so much it hurts (I mean I would marry Jason Todd I mean what) and I am always trying to channel my inner badass bad girl Cassandra Cain. 

This necklace is also actually my favourite thing. I've been searching forever for a quartz crystal that works with everything as an everyday necklace and I think I finally found it. I called it a "birthday present to myself" because otherwise I probably would not have spent the money for it.... but worth it!