♡mahou queen♡

my name is Anthea, a United States based sweet lolita; I write about Japanese street fashion and kawaii lifestyle. follow my aesthetic blog: kawaiibuns .

[mahou-queen]

moving the blog!

thank you all for your support of my blog. due to formatting limitations i am movie mahou-queen to wordpress!

please subscribe to my blog there to keep up to date on my content. i have a lot in store the next 2 months :)

https://mahouqueen.wordpress.com/ 

[pinkprism]

[mahou-queen]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚lolita fashion then vs now: how the fashion has changed over the last decade ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I started getting into lolita fashion in 2010 and so much has changed in the fashion since then. Trends, websites, community opinions, etc. So I thought we should take a look into the past and reminisce about lolita fashion since 2010~~

Everything below is based on my personal experience and perceptions in the egl community. These are not necessarily facts, and other lolitas may not agree or relate to everything stated below. 

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

✿❀Rectangle headdresses:

At the height of 2010-2012 sweet these types of headdresses were not in style. They were considered ita and absolutely taboo for new lolitas. At the time the community was trying really hard to separate themselves from lolita cosplay and maid cosplay which were both really popular at the time especially at cons where a lot of lolitas would also be. In recent years with the resurgence of old school lolita, rectangle headdresses are back in style and I personally couldn't be happier as I have always liked them. 

✿❀Animal ears:

Also considered ita and taboo for its associations with cosplay. Today we see a lot of animal ears, particularly bear and bunny, sometimes cat but not as much. Even big brands like angelic pretty are releasing animal ears regularly. While they can definitely still be ita if they are costume quality or irrelevant to a coord, they are definitely back in style and looking very cute

✿❀Chiffon half blouses:

The 2010 sweet era was all about cotton blouses. And while cotton blouses are still alive and well, these days we have the wonderful chiffon half blouse. Very comfortable, more size inclusive, light and pretty. These were not in style/ not widely available when i first got into lolita. 

✿❀Low collar blouses:

Absolutely existed, but were not as in as they are now. Peter pan collars and high necks were all the rage, these days with the prevalence of chiffon blouses, we are seeing a lot of slightly lower neck lines.

✿❀Chocolate explosion:

Around 2013, it seemed like every release was chocolate themed. All these chocolate prints came out in 2013:

Angelic Pretty started transitioning into “sweet classic” around 2014 which was when I took a break from the fashion. 

✿❀Split wigs:

Split wigs were super popular in the early 2010s both in natural and unnatural color varieties. These day some people would say they’re ita but I think the fashion has come to a really nice place of balancing old and new styles so many loltias still wear split wigs and wear them well. 

✿❀Circle lenses:

When i got into lolita it seemed like circle lenses were almost mandatory. They were a part of every makeup tutorial, every popular lolitas coord, circle lenses were everywhere. I could never wear them due to my astigmatism so I was always upset about circle lenses. I am glad to see they have not been prominent in recent years.

✿❀Replicas:

It seemed like replicas were everywhere, everyone had one, they were generally accepted, and promoted by other lolitas. Dream of lolita was making replicas of all the major AP prints and filled the pages at clobbaonline, oo jia was a facebook based brand that made the most convincing replicas available. Replicas still exist but since 2011 major bans have been placed on reselling them and reputable resellers stopped carrying them for the most part. They are not celebrated and most lolitas are against them now. 

✿❀RTBU:

Refuse to be usual was a taobao reseller on ebay in the early 2010s. Idk if they are still around but i know they up-charged more than twice the price of the item. Secret shop tea parties were going for $95 on rtbu. They had hit or miss reviews and a lot of people didn't trust them. I never bought from them but i did window-shop

✿❀The only real resellers were clobbaonline and qutieland:

Clobba did not have a full website, only a gallery where you had to place your inquiry and order via email. These days clobba has a fully functional website with a wishlist and shopping cart feature. Qutieland no longer exists. These days we have seemingly endless taobao reseller options of varying quality

✿❀Egl comm sales:

I never figure out how this worked because lacemarket took over not too long after i got into the fashion. But it was an entire second hand market being run out of livejournal. It seemed very Intricate

✿❀Bodyline:

Ohhh bodyline in the early 2010s. The lace monsters, mr yan, the sundries department, the items never restocked, good times. I have 3 bodyline main pieces these days and I love them and plan to keep them for as long as i'm in the fashion because they are cute, comfortable, and the prints look good. There was a time in the mid 2010s where bodyline and people who wore bodyline were scoffed at and everyone who had only burandoo thought they were better than everyone else. But these days with the booming lolita industry in china (on taobao) and even western brands getting bigger, the emphasis on brand is becoming less and less and what makes good lolita is based more upon actual quality and coordination skills and less on the tag. 

✿❀My old dream dress list:

I never got any of these and many of them would never fit me anyway. I did get sweetie violet but in lavender as I no longer like the sax colorway and I don't know why I ever did.

My favorite lolita online at the time was @herajika-blog

✿❀bonus:

Sweetrococo.com, does anyone remember this place? You could allegedly design a lolita dress yourself with any colors/prints/images from the internet and they would make it for you. I remember designing a my little pony skirt on the site for fun and not getting it because it was $200 LOL. I swear that site was a fever dream. 

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚as we can see a lot had changed in the lolita fashion community and trends over the last decade. Do you remember any of these things? What is your experience? I really enjoyed this trip through memory lane. And while sometimes i miss the times when i was just starting out, these days the lolita community is so much more accepting, more accessible, and more experimental. It doesnt even seem like there are trends right now, just that any trends are ok as long as theyre lolita. What do you think?˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

[mahou-queen]

Today I am finally bringing you my sym handmade and buyee proxy service review! I am so happy to be able to bring you this review as I recently didn't think it would happen because my package was lost. But it surprisingly arrived today!

I ordered this ring from a small shop called sym handmade on mercari Japan through buyee. Sym handmade specializes in resin decorated phone cases and rings. I bought this ring in early September and had it shipped via sea-mail because the Japan post is closed due to covid. It was expected to arrive in about 30 days but it never showed up and the tracking indicated it never left the post office in Japan. Worried, I contacted buyee in early November. They responded promptly to let me know I needed to wait 60 days before they could investigate the post office. At the 60 day mark and still no package and reached out again and we began the missing mail search. 10 days later, much to my surprise the ring showed up at my door !

The ring arrived with some damages but nothing that I couldn't easily fix. First and foremost the resin disk was no longer attached to the ring setting. This was easily glued back in so I wasn't worried about it.

The next damage was the ring base is attached crooked to the ring setting. It doesn't affect the comfort or look when wearing it so I have not attempted to bend it but I believe it could be bent back gently with some pliers if it was bothersome. I cannot say for sure if these are damages from the seller, or damaged that occurred in the care of buyee or during shipping.

This ring was quite cheap compared to the other 2 rings I recently reviewed at around $12. So the quality is definitely lower than the other rings. But the quality isn't bad. Its an alloy type metal. It's lightweight, I feel the gold color may chip or wear away over the years. It is a bottom adjust ring band. I did not have to open it at all to fit my ring finger which is a size 8. So the ring base can accommodate large fingers. The ring is very pretty and will go well with my honey bear jsk and kumya's sweetheart check ~

As stated I used buyee to purchase this ring so let's review their service.

This is the second time I've used buyee and both times were very easy and the communication was good.

You can use buyee to shop from several places but I use it to shop on mercari Japan. All you have to do is make an account on buyee.jp and then browse the marketplace you're interested in through the buyee site. Once you find something you want you just place the order as you would on any site. Buyee will buy the item for you and email you when they get it. Once buyee receives the item you can select a shipping method from their list. They offer a lot of choices but due to most the mail in Japan being closed right now the only options available are DHL and sea mail. They respond to emails very quickly and with good English. I like to use buyee because its so easy and streamlined.

Overall I give the ring a 4/5 and buyee a 5/5

If you liked this review and are interested in sym handmade, be sure to follow them on instagram 

*disclaimer: this review is not sponsored. I was not paid or asked to review buyee, sym handmade, or items received. All items were bought by me for me.

[mahou-queen]

☾ Today I am reviewing my first ever gothic lolita accessory and my first ever purchase from a Korean lolita brand. ☽

☾ Dok (독 meaning poison) is a South Korean indie brand specializing in gothic style accessories. I found out about them from a post on the Facebook group "lolita updates" where a member shared a pre-order for a new line of rings. The destiny and fate rings.

☾ I was sad because I thought I missed out on the rings because their site showed them as having none in the color I wanted. But what they were out of was ready made stock in that color! After lamenting about it on twitter, the brand reached out to me and mentioned the ring was still available MTO so I ordered one right away (sometimes it pays to complain on twitter lol)

☾ I ordered the destiny ring in antique gold x red through their email order form. They had it ready in just a few days and sent it to me in the US via EMS. It arrived in a little over a week. The person I spoke to used excellent English so there was no issue communicating with them at all and they respond to emails very quickly.

☾ I wanted this ring to wear with my nameless poem op that I have pre-ordered from ista mori. It's my first ever attempt at gothic lolita and I'm coordinating the dress with black and red. So when I saw this gorgeous red cross ring I couldn't pass it up.

☾ The ring was fairly priced. Shipping was a bit expensive but that's to be expected with the present mail situation. The shipping was very fast and secure however so I cannot complain. The company emailed me with care instructions for my ring to keep it looking it's best for a long time which I thought was very nice.

☾ The ring looks great. It's a bottom adjuster which is not my favorite as it can be pinchy. Seems ok for now though. It's very strong metal and opening it up to make the ring larger was a little difficult but I find that to be a good thing because it means the quality is good. The ring looks and feels nice. It's exactly what I wanted and looks exactly like the photos on their site. I'm very happy I was able to get one of these. I'm very focused on rings this year because they are an area I've neglected in my wardrobe for a long time. Unfortunately this ring will not be featured in my 2020 wardrobe tour as I received it after my cutoff for that. But expect to see it in next year's.

☾ Overall I give the ring and the customer service 5 stars!  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ the construction is good, the materials are strong, and there are no flaws.

☾ I think dok is a really cool brand with a nice stock of beautiful items. You should definitely check out their store and follow them on twitter and Instagram. I've recently learned that the Korean lolita community is very active on twitter so that may be the best place to follow them for updates. Also keep an eye out for them on lolita updates and frill road.

Top image belongs to dok, I edited their photo for use in this review only. I was not asked to review this item. Nor was I paid. This is not sponsored. All items were paid for and bought by me for me.

[mahou-queen]

~Happy Halloween~

I decided to dress up and take some photos. It’s been months since I wore lolita last so it felt really nice to be able to put together a simple halloween coord.

JSK - Angelic Pretty Selena  Blouse - Lucky Star (taobao) Socks, Shoes, Hat - Offbrand Bracelets, Ring, Necklace, Earrings, Skeleton hand clips - Offbrand Star bow - Elfis (yesstyle) Bow clip, Star clip - Angelic Pretty

I don’t have a lot of “spooky” accessories but I hope this look embodied even a little but of the spooky spirit. 

How did you spend your halloween?

[mahou-queen]

Welcome to "monthly lolita finds". A new monthly blog series where I'll share with you all the things I get each month for my lolita wardrobe.

This month I got quite a bit of stuff that I had been waiting for for a while which is pretty exciting. I probably won’t have a great haul until January when my taobao order comes in but let’s look at what I got in October

🎃I was lucky to be able to buy the blood lemonade ring from dandy puppetrois. Please see my review for all the details on this beautiful ring from a brand new lolita brand!

🎃I also received this dress after many months waiting for it to come in the mail. I ordered this dress secondhand in June. But with the given mail situation it took quite a while to get here. The dress is honey bear jsk in the color "milk tea" by morning glory (a taobao brand) it fits so much better than expected and is super cute. I'm so happy with it. I love the bodice the most, the way the strap ruffle comes all the way to the waist band. Very cute AND it has pockets. 

🎃I bought this teapot brooch from a girl in my comm for only $10 because I want to wear it with rose tea garden (my new dream dress that I don't own hahaha) it looks so much more beautiful in real life than in photos and is in like new condition.

🎃I've been looking for earrings like the heart lollipop ones from W♡C for absolutely ever since they're no longer for sale. There are a lot of similar earrings out there but I've had a hard time finding some that were translucent and flat with the right kind of stick. I found these by complete accident from shoprealglittergirl on depop.

🎃I also finally got some gold shoes! If you follow me on twitter you know about the drama I've had trying to get gold shoes. I finally got these from sosic shop after waiting a very long time for airmail. I ordered through clobbaonline because I wanted a custom color and it’s just easier to do that with a reseller in my opinion. 

That’s all I got in October. Stay tuned for next months finds~ it probably won’t be much with holiday season approaching but I am expecting a couple of things so check back to see those 🎃🎃🎃

[mahou-queen]

♡52 Weeks of Lolita Questionnaire♡

In a recent Lovely Lor video, Lor answered questions from Loliprompts’ questionnaire “52 weeks of lolita”. It seems like a fun list of questions and I thought I would answer them too~ ♡

1. What is your favorite brand, and why? What’s its history? ♡  I guess my favorite brand would have to be Angelic Pretty. I love a lot of other brands, but the majority of dresses in my wish list right now are Angelic Pretty. As for their history? I don’t really know haha, I guess I should research that a bit.

2. How would you describe lolita fashion to a curious person you met in passing? ♡ I always just say I am apart of a fashion club? People don’t generally require more than that but if they did I would probably tell them that it’s an alternative fashion based on Victorian fashion and we have a fashion club and we get dressed up and meet for tea and stuff.

3. What style do you think is the most underrated, and why? ♡ qi and wa lolita. I almost never see them, or see interest in them which is a shame because there are some really beautiful dresses out there that are suited for these styles.

4. What does the phrase “lolita lifestyle” mean to you, and do you, or would you like to, adhere to it? ♡ lolita lifestyle is when you try to bring lolita or lolita-esque aesthetics into every aspect of your life. Maybe wearing lolita every or most days, and having a very “loliable” home/room. I could never be a lifestyler because I have other fashion interests. Also lolita is not appropriate at my workplace.

5. What do you think constitutes lolita etiquette or good manners? ♡ I don’t believe there is any “lolita etiquette” I think you should just be yourself. Good manner are good manners, don’t be rude to your comm members, don’t dance on the tables at a tea party. But that’s just commonsense I don’t think there is a way to behave that is lolita.

6. Does your style change with the seasons, or do you dress the same and try to bear the cold/heat? ♡ I try, but admittedly I am awful at it. I try to keep berets in the cooler months, as well as long sleeves. BUT I’m a sucker for ankle socks and I wear them all year despite the cold and I do freeze my legs off at winter meets. 

7. Do you have a fashion role-model? What do you admire most about them? ♡ I actually have several! I will list them and their instagrams here: sleepyriri  - Her coords are so dreamy looking, very light floaty aesthetic which I love. She also has her own lolita brand! Le_verger_sucre - Her coords are so pink and princess-y. I find myself sharing her photos a lot. Fannyrosie - the classic lolita queen. Need I say more? Tokimeki.bunny - I love the cuteness of her coords. They always have a lot of extra elements and are so well balanced. She’s also really good at coordinating printed tights which I am awful at. Tsumikko - Lavender QUEEN! I love her use of aprons, layering, and color balancing. Very light, floaty vibes.  Milkcircus - Print QUEEN. Her use of prints and patterns absolutely inspires me. Coords are always very multi-dimensional  Cursed.Kaiser - They’re coords are honestly so cool, there’s a kind of drama in them that I really like. Darkxdelirium - She almost made me want honey cake with her impeccable coording skills. 

8. What are the top 10 things you love most about lolita? Can you also compile a list of things you hate? ♡ I don’t think I can come up with 10 but I’ll do my best. ♡ Loves: The community aspect, the ability to reclaim my femininity through lolita, the creativity that goes into building coords, crafting to make one of a kind pieces, being able to feel beautiful without being “sexy”, having a hobby to focus on when I need something to escape to.

♡ Hates: Second-hand market price fluctuation, brands still releasing dresses with a max 96cm bust, buying petticoats, storing my stuff (especially purses), brands who charge astronomical prices for low quality materials (AP purses, Q-pot jewelry, etc).

9. How strict are you in applying the rules to yourself? To others? ♡  I am pretty strict on myself. For a long time I was terrified to be seen as ita. I was even afraid to wear bodyline for fear of being ”ita” even though my coord was good. These days I am less strict on myself and worry much less about these things, but I still struggle to get out of the strict mindset from time to time. others? I love experimentation even if I am afraid to do so so I am really not too strict on others, if it works, it works, and I am not going to criticize anyone. 

10. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever incorporated into a coord, or the weirdest material you’ve ever worn? ♡ The weirdest thing I think I have ever worn in a coord were a pair of korilakkuma bell earrings. As you can imagine, bells on your ears? not great.

11. What’s the story behind your discovery of lolita fashion? ♡ When I was a senior in high school, a new girl started attending my school. She wore fairy kei and sweet lolita to school. We became friends through art class and eventually she ended up teaching me about the fashion. She sold me my first dress, and later my first brand piece. I am really glad to have met her and to have been exposed to lolita. You can follow her on instagram here

12. What is the one item that you’ve owned the longest? ♡ I still own my very first dress I got in 2012. Bodyline Squirrel Party. However, I am planning to sell it since I’ve worn it in everyway I can think of.

13. Do you think lolita is only about clothes, or does it also encompass a certain attitude or mindset? ♡ Lolita is about the fashion. All kinds of people are lolitas and they like it or wear it for different reasons. 

14. Have you ever decorated a room or other space (car?) with lolita aesthetics in mind? ♡ My old bedroom used to be very “kawaii”. I love pink so my car stuff, my desk, as much as I can get away with, is pink. 

15. Is it possible to be too obsessed with lolita? ♡ If lolita is interfering with your ability to pay your bills, or to be happy, or to focus on school or work or family then you should probably pull back. Some people do get very absorbed by things and in those cases it can become too much.

16. What are you favorite and least favorite trends? Do you think it’s important to follow them, or to do as you like regardless of them? ♡ My favorite trend ever is the chiffon half blouse. So comfortable, affordable, light, cute, and much more size inclusive. Least favorite trend? mis-matched shoes from the 2010 era. I like my shoes to get equal wear. I think these days more than ever, you can really just do whatever you want. Wear the fashion is right now is like anything goes which I think is great,

17. How do you define “lolita cosplay” and how do you feel about it? ♡ Lolita cosplay is stupid. sorry

18. Are there other fashions that you wear regularly, or are you an everyday lolita? ♡ I don't wear other street fashions anymore. I used to wear fairy kei and himekaji but these days I just dress regular outside of lolita.

19. Do you look for bargains to save as much money as possible, or are you willing to make sacrifices for high-quality products? ♡ I try to find the best prices when applicable but if I am in love with something I’ll do what I have to do.

20. When was the last time you wore lolita, and what did you do that day? If you wear it daily, when was the last time you went OTT or extra-fancy? ♡ The last time I wore lolita was in April lmao. For a virtual meet-up with my comm.

21. If you were to combine lolita fashion with an unrelated style or theme, what would your new creation be? ♡uhhhh I honestly have no idea at all. 

22. What is your favorite accessory, and why is it your favorite? ♡ I have 2, 2-way bow clips from back when bodyline had a massive “sundries” section. They're no longer available and haven't been for a long time. I am really glad I got them, I wish I had bought more sundries when that section was still there.

23. What’s your favorite online lolita community or forum? Are there any that you avoid?  ♡ I don’t have a favorite tbh. I have never been on 4chan and I never will be.

24. What is your favorite theme (e.g. school loli, pirate loli, nurse loli) or motif (e.g. deer, music notes, stars/constellations)? ♡ black and gold stars! Valentines day! fruits! gingham!

25. Is there any music that you associate with lolita? ♡ orange caramel lol

26. Will you ever be too old for lolita? ♡  never

27. Do you enjoy sewing? Why or why not? ♡ I don’t know how to sew :(

28. How does your location affect your involvement in the local lolita community? Would you like to move elsewhere to be closer, or perhaps farther away? ♡ I drive about 1.5 hours for meetups because that’s the closest active comm. I do not mind so much. I’d like to maybe be closer.

29. Does your sleepwear resemble lolita at all? ♡  not at all. I sleep in oversized t-shirts

30. Can you admit to any unpopular opinions regarding lolita? ♡ I hate peeking bloomers. I’m sorry :(

31. How do you feel about Visual kei or Jrock, and do you feel it’s related to lolita, or not? ♡ Love it, and absolutely. Visual Kei is like lolitas relative. 

32. Whether or not you wear them (looking at you, Ouji), do you prefer the look of skirts, JSKs, and OPs with or without prints? ♡ I like both, but these days I am appreciating non-printed items more.

33. How has your style evolved over time? ♡ It hasn't really, just gotten more refined. 

34. If applicable, what other communities do you belong to? What other identities do you adopt? ♡ I’m queer, so the LGBTQ community is important to me.

35. What are your favorite shoes to wear with your style, or what’s your dream pair? ♡ I love heels. I do not like flat shoes because I like to elongate my legs. I don’t have a dream pair.

36. Would you, or have you ever, dressed your pets in lolita? ♡ lol I’d try but I don't think it would work.

37. How do you feel about people who wear lolita for Halloween? Does it depend on whether that person is already a lolita? ♡ Wearing lolita for Halloween as a lolita is fine, but wearing it as a costume is kind of meh.

38. Excluding fashion shows, what’s the most amount of outfits you’ve ever worn in a day? ♡ just 1 haha

39. What’s your worst lolita horror story? ♡  I don’t really have any. I one time went with some of my college friends to a con and I left my dorm building in full sweet early in the morning. I was afraid my dormmates would see me cause I did not want to explain but luckily no one was awake and I made it to the van unscathed. 

40. Do you like sweets? If so, what’s your favorite dessert? ♡ I love angel food cake 

41. Do you have any beauty products, health routines, or special diet to keep you at your best? ♡ I take co-q-10 for my eczema, I like laneige lip sleeping mask, especially in the winter.

42. What were the best and worst meetups you’ve hosted? If you haven’t hosted, would you like to someday? ♡ I wanted to host a garden meet this summer but covid ruined that. Maybe next year.

43. Who is your favorite artist? If not famous for lolita art, do you think they have lolita appeal? ♡ I love a lot of artists, some of them I think are lolita-adjacent because their style is kawaii. I’ll list some here: jisaaaa!  ubokhee MISOART_ meowwniz gojio_ hanavbara Fancy Surprise Arcade Healer Yurie Sekiya and many many more. Go stalk my following on instagram for lots of kawaii artists.

44. How do you feel about wigs? Do you wear any, or style your natural hair? ♡ I used to wear wigs, but my hair is too long now so I use my natural hair with fake bangs.

45. What’s your favorite animal motif? ♡ bears?

46. Have you ever visited a brand’s shop/boutique? If so, what was your reaction? If not, what shop would you most like to visit? ♡ I want to visit AP San Francisco 

47. Do you think posting photos of your coord online is a crucial part of belonging to the community? ♡ YES, it’s how we all stay connected and inspired 

48. How has the lolita community changed since you became a part of it? Where do you see lolita heading in the future in terms of community and networking? ♡ I think it’s become way more accepting and accessible. When I got into lolita there were virtually no legit resellers, the community was entirely on livejournal, buying second hand was a nightmare. Buying anything! was a nightmare. There was so much stress around looking “ita”, and the superiority of brand. These days its just not like that. So much amazing taobao brands have really helped even the field for lolita. We have so much more access to the clothes, the community, everything. It’s great. I only see it getting better as years go on.

49. What advice would you give someone who is nervous about starting lolita? Or do you think they should learn their own lessons? ♡ I think too many lolitas today rely on seasoned lolitas to tell them everything. I would say, go watch lovely lor, read @lolita-tips and look at other peoples coordinates. Lolita Tips tumblr taught me basically everything I know back in the day and it a wealth of info and concrit. Part of what makes the lolita journey so great is the research, the learning, the mistakes. You don’t wanna be like someone else, you wanna be you. So you really need to do the work yourself so you can put your personal flair into the fashion. That’s when it’s at its best. 

50. What’s your dream dress/garment? Is it a faraway goal or have you obtained it? ♡ My dream dress was AP sweetie violet jsk in lavender. Which I got in 2019. My new dream dress is AP rose tea garden jsk in navy. It’ll probably be a while before I can afford to buy one.

51. How do you feel about the stereotype that lolitas are full of drama? What’s the worst drama you’ve ever witnessed or been involved in? ♡ I think any and all groups of people are bound to have drama. I don’t believe that’s specific to lolita at all. I personally have not been involved in any lolita drama.

52. Are you loyal to any particular makeup brands? ♡ I am very particular about my makeup because I do not like to use certain ingredients. I really like Pacifica. But I also like some Korean brands like The Saem, MISSHA, and TonyMoly.

This was super long but I had fun answering all the questions. Have you done this questionnaire? I’d love to see your answers~

[mahou-queen]

♡Sugary Peach Floordinate♡

OP: Glitter Tale Sugary Peach Sailor OP - Yellow Shoes: Yesstyle  Bag: Peach-C Socks, peach jewelry set: Unknown taobao brand - bought via yesstyle Rings: Halloween Alice (taobao) Wrist cuffs, Headdress: Elfis (yesstyle) 

[mahou-queen]

♡ ♡ ♡  Today I am reviewing a ring I purchased from a new lolita fashion brand “Dandy Puppetrois”  ♡ ♡ ♡

♡ Dandy Puppetrois is a black owned indie lolita and ouji brand based in the USA who just recently released their debut jewelry collection “Vampire Stand” which features 2 necklaces, 3 rings, and 1 art print all themed after a snack stand run by vampires. I purchased the blood lemonade ring which is what I will be reviewing today. 

♡

♡ This is the ring that I bought. I chose this item because I love lemons and I felt like this one would fit the best with my wardrobe. 

♡ My ring arrived very quickly since I was able to get one from the pre-made collection and not the MTO. It was packaged very well and inside the box were my receipt, a jewelry care sheet, a bookmark of the poem “Vampire Stand” and a smaller box with my bubble wrapped ring~ 

♡ The ring base is made of steel which I really like because it is strong, high quality, and hypo-allergenic. it’s also a top adjustable ring base so no pinched skin! Steel is more difficult to adjust because its stronger than alloy or brass, however mine was perfect size right out of the package so I have no had to mess with it at all. The ring base is smooth and comfortable and since it is steel I wont have to worry about getting that awful green stain on my finger. The acrylic is VERY SPARKLY which I LOVE. (please see video for ~sparkles~). The acrylic is very smooth with no sharp spots, it feels very sturdy and well made. I feel like this ring will last a long time because it it made very strong. I also really like the size of this ring. It’s not obnoxiously large but it also isn’t small enough to get lost in a coord. It is a nice substantial size without impeding the hand or fingers in any way. I also like that the “DP” is pink! which I did not notice at first but I love pink so I think that’s cute~

♡ Overall I give this ring 5/5 stars! It’s so well made, arrived quickly, its a unique design. I have no complaints. I love the concept of “Vampire Stand” and I am so glad I was able to grab something from this release. The designs in the collection are so cute and refreshingly different from the run of the mill lolita jewelry we see all the time. I am so excited to see what comes next from Dandy Puppetrois  ♡ ♡ ♡

♡ This collection is still available so please be sure to check it out at dandypuppetrois.com . Make sure to join their newsletter and follow them on instagram to stay up to date on new releases! It’s so important to support indie designers so if you like what you see here please give some love to Dandy Puppetrois  ♡ ♡ ♡

for more lolita fashion reviews and content please follow my blog and check out my instagram  ♡

[mahou-queen]

[mahou-queen]

Hello fellow lolitas~ we’re back with a new edition to my budget lolita series! This time we’re talking about headdresses purchased on yesstyle. Without further ado, let’s get into the review :D

AOI bow-accent lace headband https://www.yesstyle.com/en/aoi-bow-accent-lace-headband-various-designs-yellow-one-size/info.html/pid.1077634764?cpid=1077635466

$7.90

I got this headdress in yellow and I have a lot to say. First I was disappointed because this headdress is on a headband, which I didn't expect. I know the title of the listing says “headband” but in my past experience; “headband” can mean anything that goes across the head when dealing with yesstyle. There are no photos of this headdress off the mannequin so I didn't realize it was a headband. Historically, I do not like headbands because I have a large head and they often break or are too tight. With that in mind this headband is a little bit too large for me? and rests weirdly against my ears? (and because it is loose-ish it feels less secure on my head) Therefore I can only wear this one with my hair completely down. Also the headband IS metal which wont break (and therefore the only kind of headband I can wear). However, the quality is nice and I do plan to wear it and it looks pretty cute.  ★★★★☆

AOI star print veil https://www.yesstyle.com/en/aoi-star-print-veil-black-one-size/info.html/pid.1061113279?cpid=1061113278

$8.90

I was surprised to see this veil is literally just a rectangle of fabric. There is no particular cut to it, and maybe that is normal for veils? I have never owned one. This also did not come with any clips or anything so it is literally just a piece of fabric. However, the print on it is clear and nice looking and the material is soft and drapes well ★★★★☆

Elfis ruffled lace headpiece - double lace edition https://www.yesstyle.com/en/elfis-lace-wrist-cuffs-ruffled-lace-headpiece-headpiece-double-lace/info.html/pid.1087096012?cpid=1087096074

$10.90

This headdress is actually the matching headdress to the wrist cuffs I reviewed in my last budget lolita review. It looks just like the picture, the quality is actually a little nicer than the matching wrist cuffs as I did not need to trim any access fabric or threads. Very comfortable and exactly what I wanted  ★★★★★

Elfis lace trim bow headband - white lace x light blue https://www.yesstyle.com/en/elfis-lace-trim-bow-headband-bow-white-lace-light-blue-one-size/info.html/pid.1072559424?cpid=1072559485 

$8.90

This headdress is fine, the lace is not the nicest lace but it is under $10 so I wasn't expecting it to be crazy high quality but the construction is nice and it looks very cute. I believe lovelylor bought this same headdress in red in her “can you buy lolita on yesstyle” video. I like it and I would reccomend it, I may buy other colors.  ★★★★★

Overall, all of these were good pieces and I don’t regret buying any of them. I will be sharing worn photos on my instagram, so if you’re interested in seeing more of these follow me on insta @mahou_queen 

[mahou-queen]

!~taobao brand alert~!

You may have heard me talk about the yesstyle brand Elfis on my budget lolita posts and other posts as well. I wanted to update that I have found the original taobao seller that Elfis is supplied by which is Little Ghost Hand-Decorated World. You can view their shop here: https://shop62698422.taobao.com/?spm=a1z10.1-c-s.0.0.4aff67a0XQ3du2

so if you are interested in buying those items directly from taobao and not from a reseller, now you can!

[mahou-queen]

♡♡♡~~A new budget lolita review is coming soon! Expected by late Sept or early Oct. Please stay tuned ~~♡♡♡

[mahou-queen]

Since covid shut down everything including in-person meet ups and events around the globe, all my coords have been shoved back as well as all the new coords I have been planning in my newfound free time. Since I cannot wear any of my coords out right now, let me share them with you here! lets talk~ upcoming coords.

~lemon picnic~

a new version of my lemon coord that I cannot wait to wear.  JSK - lemon honey’s lemon soda in lavender blouse - mary lolita on taobao hat - an adorable offbrand find from big lots! I plan to add a big ribbon/bow around it in a white chiffon fabric.  socks, shoes - offbrand from yesstyle wrist cuffs - elfis on yesstyle  earrings - witchinbloom ring - halloween alice on taobao bag- to alice  I really wanna wear this to an outdoor event. I got these earrings not too long ago after searching for the right pair for almost an entire year. 

~violet princess~

a new coord with my dream dress, sweetie violet~~ I wore this dress to my comms ILD june tea in 2019 and I wasn't super happy with my coord. This one looks much more cute imo and light and flowy which I really like for this particular dress.

JSK - Angelic pretty’s sweetie violet in lavender blouse - lucky star on taobao bag - an offbrand bag I bought on wish shoes, socks - offbrand from amazon headdress and wrist cuffs - elfis on yesstyle (reviewing this headdress later this month stay tuned~!) ring- sym handmade on mercari jpn not pictured~ pink heart ring and pink heart crystal earrings - both gifts, offbrand I am really new to wearing these kinds of headdresses so I don’t know how I wanna wear my hair just yet

~valentines OTT~

I have been working on this coord for absolutely ever so there is a lot of lore here: I wore this skirt for the first and last time in 2014 to Otakon in the absolutely WORST coord of my lolita career. I spent YEARS trying to figure out how to coordinate this skirt and I finally got it with this one. I was suppose to wear this to my comms ILD december meet last year but half of my stuff did not arrive in time despite me ordering it in October. But that’s ok because I have improved it since then anyway

skirt- Angelic pretty’s dream doll in white blouse, shoes - bodyline bag - loris - custom color beret - offbrand from target beret clips not pictured - 2 pom pom heart brooches - handmade by me, bronze heart brooch - vintage  bracelet - offbrand from yesstyle earrings- the one’s I have are from candyfrizzstars on storenvy but I would love the one’s from WC necklace - offbrand from amazon socks - you cannot tell here but they have a textural heart pattern on them, offbrand from sears?! choker - handmade by me not pictured~ heart hair pin - offbrand, pink heart ring - gift, offbrand, red keychain - offbrand

~she’s a star~

I have worn this dress more times than I can count, but never like this. So this black x gold star themed take on bodyline’s carousel print is all new and very exciting!

jsk - bodyline’s carousel print in black blouse - not the one pictured, mine is from lucky star on taobao bag - loris shoes - sosic shop wrist cuffs - need to go lol, originally i planned to wear this with short sleeves so I don’t need those now, but they are my altered elfis wrist cuffs from yesstyle socks - offbrand from yesstyle gold star clip - 6%dokidoki star clip - angelic pretty star bow - elfis on yesstyle headdress - leaf sister on taobao choker - shimotsuki sakuya on taobao earrings - offbrand from forever21 my shoes are actually on the way as I write this lol

~selene~

I got this dress at the beginning of the year from xianyu and it’s one of my favorite dresses, the cut is wonderful! I have not been able to wear this yet due to covid so I cannot wait to get this out on the town

jsk - angelic pretty’s selena in lavender blouse - lady sloth bag - loris shoes, socks - offbrand from amazon pink bow, wrist cuffs - elfis on yesstyle purple bow - angelic pretty selena hair bow earrings - offbrand from forever21 star clip-6%dokidoki it’s a pretty simple coord but it’s a simple dress. I cant wait to wear

~princess peach~

I got this custom dress from glitter tale as you may know because I reviewed it here on my blog. I did not know how i wanted to wear this and a friend of mine suggested I coordinate it with sax to bring out the sax in the print which is something I never would have thought to do so I was great full for the advice. So this is what I came up with. Also this is my first OP ever and I did find it challenging to coord with no blouse. 

OP- glitter tale sugary peach sailor cut yellow bag - peach C (the reason I actually wanted a peach print) shoes, socks, necklace, earrings - offbrand from yesstyle wrist cuffs - elfis on yesstyle rings - halloween alice on taobao handmade peach clip which is not pictured cause I haven't made it yet - handmade by me lol

~spring and winter bunny babe~

Here are 2 versions of a new and improved coord for my cinderella bunny dress.

jsk - bodyline’s cinderlla bunny in lavender blouse - both are lady sloth (so excited about this elegant mesh blouse. It’s new and I haven't worn it yet) socks, shoes, bag, beret - offbrand from amazon earrings - offbrand from yesstyle keychain, bunny necklace - offbrand from wish bracelets - offbrand from target bunny clip, wrist cuffs - elfis on yesstyle pearl necklace - offbrand

I really love how everything goes together in the bunny theme. Even the keychain is a white puff like a bunny tail with a loop of pearls to match the pearls on the dress. The bunny hair clip even has pearls dangling from it. I wanted a blouse to replace the dusty rose high collar blouse I wore with this dress last time (2018) because it’s too small (it’s currently for sale on my LM)  I am so excited to wear this new blouse with these striped socks. I am actually super terrified of prints? lol so i never incorporate prints beyond the dress into my coords. This is still super safe but it’s a step.

~honey bear~

last but not least~ The dress I am still waiting on~ I have got a lot of ideas for this dress but this is the only one kind of pulled together right now. I am going for a sweet-classic look, which I have never done before. 

jsk - morning glory’s honey bear in milk tea blouse - little dipper on taobao shoes - bodyline socks - NOT THE ONES SHOWN, mine are much closer to the blouse color. sockdreams bag, hair clips - offbrand from yesstyle ring - sym handmade on mercari jpn beret -offbrand from amazon necklace not shown - handmade by me

So what do you think of my coords? concrit is always welcome and I love to hear new ideas. Have you been planning coords during quarantine? It’s definitely my main source of serotonin these days haha. Once we can go to meets and events again I will have to decide when to wear what. 

[mahou-queen]

Back at the beginning of quarantine, I got really into watching wish hauls on YouTube. This led me into actually buying some things from wish...in MARCH. The very last item arrived last week so I am finally going to review some of the things I bought. Today's review will be on items I bought from wish specifically for j-fashion. 

For those of you who don’t know, Wish.com is basically a HUGE online shopping mall of cheap stuff (where prices change all the time). However, it’s pretty common for the items you get to either be not what you thought they were, or of inferior quality. This is why wish reviews and hauls have become so popular, so that people know what the good stuff is and what is garbage. Wish also is known for having a lot of replicas and counterfeit items, so you really need to be careful shopping there. 

⚝⚝DISCLAIMER: DO NOT try to buy lolita fashion on wish. As you will see here, I bought some small accessories I plan to wear with lolita fashion, but no dresses, blouses, shoes, etc. It’s just not a good idea. The quality is not going to be good, and you’re very likely to get a replica. Please use a legitimate lolita fashion website or taobao reseller to buy lolita fashion pieces. (I’ll link some at the bottom of this review)⚝⚝

onto the review:

https://www.wish.com/product/5bebf218f8bc936a780b974e?share=web

The first thing I got was this FABULOUS goose purse. I saw this and fell in love. I paid $6.65 + $2.00 shipping for this bag. I am shocked at the quality. The lining is a little crunchy but this bag holds a terrifying amount more than I was expecting. I can fit my entire phone, small wallet, hand sanitizer, eos balm, and my keys in this bag without distorting its shape. It is very cute and I have gotten a lot of compliments on it. Would buy again ★★★★★

https://www.wish.com/product/5df9efcd4f80d40f29c08b50?share=web

This furry heart cross-body cost me $9.00 + $3.00 shipping. I have seen this bag all over amazon for much more money, and frankly it’s not worth more money. When I first got the bag I was very unhappy with it because It did not appear to be heart shaped, however after messing with it I realized it was partially pulled inside itself. After a simple smoothing from the inside it popped out into heart shape so I am much happier now. It is true to color, I know it looks practically white in my photo (my lighting is bad today). The chain however is AWFUL and I plan to replace it. The chain it came with is plastic?? it’s very lightweight and cheap. And the D-rings don’t stay in place. I will be replacing those with O-rings. ★★★☆☆

https://www.wish.com/product/5e8d24215a44df0449af2144?share=web

Next is this black star themed puff key-chain, which I bought to wear on my gold star loris bag with black x gold star themed lolita coords. I paid $2.67 + $3.00 shipping for this. I like to add little details everywhere I can in my coords. This item is actually very nice, the faux fur is very soft and the puff is not misshapen. The hard wear is metal and feels decent and looks decent. Comparable to something you would find at a regular store at the mall or something. Would buy again.  ★★★★★

https://www.wish.com/product/58cb463d33b01a534f5a0e6b?share=web

This white key-chain I bought to put on my purse for my Cinderella bunny coord. Because it’s like a bunny tail, and the pearls go with the pearls on the dress and throughout my coord. I paid $2.78 + $2.00 shipping for this. The puff ball needed a little TLC as it was squished when it arrived, but I was able to fix it. The faux fur is soft, the hard wear is not as nice as the other key-chain I bought. It’s a bit light weight which makes it feel cheap but it looks fine. As you can see, the circular pendant is missing some pearls. I intend to try and glue new ones in. but if I can’t I will just remove that piece entirely.  ★★★☆☆

https://www.wish.com/product/5c73aa943156ff31c5866a07?share=web

I have been seeing these type of earrings everywhere and I really wanted some for some of my lolita coords I am planning. I got these free + $3.92 shipping. They’re pretty nice, they feel secure, they look like the picture. They don’t feel super high quality but they don’t feel really cheap either. I’d buy again. ★★★★☆

https://www.wish.com/product/5e7c06e156076e10cccdbdf7?share=web

This bunny necklace was also bought for my Cinderella bunny coord. I paid $1.71 + $3.00 shipping for this. I was actually expecting this to be unwearable. I thought it was going to be very cheap looking and plasticy. I was pleased to find out it’s not as gross as I was anticipating. It’s definitely wearable, however I fear the enamel will wear off in time. ★★★★☆

That concludes my review of some small items I bought on wish for j-fashion looks. I was able to do this because I have been wearing j-fashion for almost 10 years and can discern what is and isn’t going to work due to quality. Also because I watched a lot of videos on YouTube about wish that helped me learn how to shop more safe on that site. If you’re interested in learning more about shopping on wish I highly recommend Prettypastelplease , she has A LOT of wish hauls on her channel. Also if you’re new to j-fashion, specifically lolita fashion. PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON WISH TO FIND PIECES. here is a list of better places to shop:

bodyline.co.jp devilinspired.com clobbaonline.com fanplusfriend.com lacemarket.us store.lolitacollective.com Glittertale  wunderwelt.jp closet child I did a review of spreenow not too long ago, you can use spreenow to buy from taobao outside of China. 

I also have a series called “budget lolita” where I review and recommend items from cheaper shops.

I hope you enjoyed my review. This was not sponsored, I was not asked to review these items. Everything I reviewed here was purchased by me, for me. I was not asked or sponsored to mention any of the other shops or YouTube channels that I did.  Is there anything you bought on wish that was good for j-fashion? I’d love to hear about it. 

please stay tuned for the next installment in my budget lolita series coming soon!

[mahou-queen]

Hello all! Today I want to talk about this dress I just received from Glitter Tale!

♡ Glitter Tale is an indie lolita fashion brand based out of Vietnam. You can learn more about them from their facebook page (linked)

♡ I pre-ordered this dress from their “Sugary Peach” series in March 2020 and received it in July 2020. Glitter Tale offers an abundance of cuts so I opted for a sailor OP since I don’t own anything like that (until now). I ordered my dress with custom sizing because the base sizes they offered were too small for me, but I had to have this dress because...well?? peaches! 

♡ The details: First I’d like to say that the people at Glitter Tale were very friendly, professional, and their English is very good. Time to talk about the dress.

Here is the photo that Glitter Tale sent to me of my finished dress

You can see my photo at the top, lets get into the details:

here is the detachable bow, adorned with little gold stars. They are sewn on very strong. 

Here is the button closure on the sleeves. Very pretty and sturdy. You can also see the lace and cuff detail here.

Here is the back of the collar, very cute!

The sailor collar has 1 hidden snap for easier on and off of the dress. It seems to also be sewn very well. The dress also has a hidden zip for easier wear.

Here you can see the waist ties, they are double sided! and they are removable. The button matches those on the sleeves.

The dress needs a light steam, but it is not nearly at wrinkled as some other stuff I’ve gotten in the mail. The fabric is a light chiffon type and the print is very bright and crisp. I did not edit any of these photos, they were taken in natural light. I wanted the dress to be seen as it is so i left the photos alone. 

Here you can see the chiffon ruffle along the bottom. It’s one of my favorite parts of the dress. 

Lastly, the dress is lined with a light yellow lining. 

♡ Overall, I give the dress an easy 5/5 for its craftsmanship. It’s sewn very well and looks very nice. 

♡ Sizing

I filled out the custom size form that Glitter Tale sent me on facebook messenger. They asked for A LOT of measurements and I have never done a custom item before so I was quite nervous. Now having gotten the dress it’s actually a tad too big. This very well may be my fault for measuring wrong or perhaps I was bloated, but it is easily fixed in my case. Normally I do not wear waist ties, I hate them. But for this dress I will use them, as I can cinch in the waist a little bit with the waist ties and then the dress is much better fitted. I have large upper arms and the arms on this dress are very comfortable, the length is good, the fit overall is great except in the bodice where it is just a bit loose. But like I said it’s easily drawn in with the waist ties. 

♡ Fit is 4/5 stars

I wanted to post worn photos of this dress but the heat is unrelenting and my bedroom is a solid 82 degrees WITH the AC running, so I decided against it. However you can follow me on instagram @mahou_queen and you will definitely see me wearing this at some point. If you are interested in the dress I believe at the time of this review that it is still available! It’s called sugary peach and it comes in 4 colorways and several cuts, be sure to check out Glitter Tale on facebook, and you can send them a message to place an order  ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

♡ This review is not sponsored, Glitter Tale did not ask me to review this item. Everything reviewed here today was purchased by me, for me. ♡