Lolita Musings: Summer Wardrobe

I love lolita. I love getting dressed up in it, I love wearing it, I love foofing about with my fluffy skirts. But there are about four months out of the year where that isn't necessarily going to happen every morning.

Those four months are pretty much summer here.

In winter lolita is great because it is layering and helps to keep me warm. I can totally cover every inch of me except my head and be comfortable. But when things start getting hot towards the end of spring it gets a little harder and when we finally hit summer and it is stupid humid too? It gets rough. That's when I have to pack my socks in my purse and put them on when I get to the air conditioned tundra that is my place of employment. I stare at my blouses, all neatly hanging up in my closet and spend three minutes debating the virtues of being totally loli and protecting my jsks from me glistening by wearing a blouse and the fact that I will be cooler while walking to work if I don't wear one. Even my most summery of blouses still feels constricting and hot. And when the humidity is stupid high because we're clearly going to get thunderstorms a petticoat seems a ridiculous thing to wear.

So in summer The Rules are a bit fudged. I can't even say sometimes to that, in summer it is a special occasion to be in full lolita kit. My socks only get worn indoors or for short periods on days when it isn't too humid (high humidity plus socks equals very itchy legs). I actually am will to for-go a petticoat and just rock bloomers as my underpinnings because they don't itch. And I'm going to be making a pair of super full eyelet bloomers once I'm back from vacation to hopefully recapture some of that poof while still being cool and comfortable. I have two or three summery blouses which are loosely woven and 100% cotton to be as cool and breathable as possible and which also protect my pale arms from getting too tan when I go on outings.

Summer is almost a test for lolitas, at least if you live somewhere with extreme weather. But luckily The Rules aren't hard and fast. We can adapt them to a certain extent and still be poofy and loli and have fun. I would hate to get up in the morning and resent my lolita finery because I know I'm going to sunstroke from it.

BB Wednesday: Skin Food Peach Sake

So, I can't be the only one who buys things because they sound kind of weird. When I saw the Peach Sake BB I was like 'Say whaaaa?'. That just sounds so odd for a face product. But it also looked pale and yellow toned and I like peaches and adult beverages so why not? I also ordered the sun lotion from the same line.

The packaging is a bit odd, not sure what is up with the faux wood cap and the peach colored container with the copper embossing is unique. But it still looks pretty on my counter.

The pump is rather annoying. I'd have preferred more of a small opening like pretty much every other BB I got.

Here I am with, uh, my unmade face. Yes my unmade face includes eyeshadow, I sleep with fully done eye make up half the time (I know, terrible).

As you can see very yellowy and nice and pale.

And here I am with the cream on! It is a bit more sheer than the Holika Holika one but it smells delightfully similar to a Bellini, it applies well and can go a whole work day without needing powder (though not much longer). So it edges out the Holika Holika one just barely.

Price: ~$8/30ml (On sale at RubyRubyShop's ebay acct)

Packaging: 4/5

A bit WTF-y in the design though not hideous but the pump knocks a full point off for making it harder to use.

Quality: 4.5/5

If it was less sheer and/or didn't slightly irritate my skin (I know, asking for miracles) then it'd be a full five.

Value: 4/5

Average cost wise for BB creams but I really like it so y'know, that makes it a better value to me.

And here's the comparison chart again:

My Newest Book Is Now Available!

This series is mostly about the normally secondary characters within your typical comic book style universe. The first book follows a museum curator who is tired of her museum getting blown up and robbed, a girl henching to pay for college and a med student who is antsy to start practicing medicine and helping people.

You can download it from the kindle store here.

Make-Up Monday: Evil Shades Hardcore Lips in Lost Kiss

I got my migi of Lost Kiss in my last order. It has been living in my purse ever since with the Bane lipstick, my Chanel gloss and the Revlon Gucci Westman gloss in Crystal Waters. I love Lost Kiss so much. So. Much. I already reviewed it so this is more for the swatches. :D

The applicator works very well and the migi size is great for tucking in pockets and tiny purses.

The only sad thing is that it wears off within a few hours. But I still love it.

Outfits of the Fortnight: Vol 4

Okay with Comic Con International coming up and taking up the two weeks after this there might not be an OotF next fortnight. Or if there is then it may have a Madame du Pompadour tossed in. And despite wearing lolita for the whole roadtrip to Savcon I actually didn't get any decent coord pics. So, um, yeah. My first break of my biweekly posting schedule isn't from not wearing lolita but being too busy to take pics lol.

EDIT: Ha yeah, I wore loli but there are no good pics. Whoops, sorry.

BB Wednesday: Holika Holika Essential Petit BB

This shall be a kind of short run feature, I don't plan on buying enough BB cream to post about every week or every other week, so consider it something fun for July.

These always look bigger in the pictures but 30ml isn't all that much. But honestly since it is just about impossible to sample BBs here in the USA small sizing (and therefore smaller prices) isn't such a bad thing. The cap is also purple btw.

It has a nice small opening so it is very easy to get just the right amount.

And here is what the cream itself looks like.

Here's my mug sans BB cream. I've been breaking out a bit more since starting to use BB creams but I break out whenever I use anything other than sensitive formula face lotion so no surprise there. I also do my eye make up before because eyeshadow fallout sticks to freshly applied BB cream like nobody's business.

And here we are after. It really has great coverage and covers up the red in my face (which is basically the only color I have in my face). I accidentally covered the side thirds of my lips, which is why they are skin toned, that's how good the coverage is. I've worn it all day for a couple of days now. It does make me breakout a slight bit and the slightly soapy smell isn't tops but that fades out pretty quickly. Overall I really liked it. I just wish it didn't crease and accentuate every bump on my forehead after 5-6 hours so I have to powder.

Price: $8/30ml (from RubyRubyShop on ebay)
Packaging: 5/5
Very effective and compact and also cute (That kitty!).
Quality: 4/5
I'm not a fan of soapy smells and it does make me break out a little (but so does my current local water). It also doesn't last all day, I have to powder after 5-6 hours but I do practically live in a swamp. I'll let you know how well it works when I'm in California (aka not a swamp).
Value: 4/5
Eh... It is a nice product and costs about the same as foundation here in the states but at least it is a color that works for my ridiculous paleness.
Overall: 4.33/5
I really do like it, the coverage is great if you are breaking out, the smell isn't too horrible and does fade quickly. It is also a great color for me which my w1 skin is thankful for since they stopped selling the w1 l'Oreal truematch shade here.

And here is a comparison shot of all my currently owned BBs since these were one of the most helpful things I saw when trying to figure out which ones to buy (lol my paaaale skin).

Make-Up Monday: Morgana Cryptoria Lipsticks Copper Patina, Hydrangea, Ice Queen

I really do love the Morgana lipstick blend. I just don't feel like dropping $12 on something I can't swatch first. So this past half year I've only gotten three new ones.

Copper Patina is good, not particularly remarkable but good. Applies nicely, not streaky and doesn't dry out my lips too horribly. I ordered this hoping to find one like Pumpkin Eater but this is closer to 24k Pumpkin. Maybe if I'm lucky she'll do another batch of Pumpkin Eater as a Halloween special.

Hydrangea is a lovely color. I bought it solely because Hydrangeas are some of my very favorite flowers. Were I ever to get married the floral would be hydrangeas and rosemary. I really like this purple toned pink, it is just slightly darker and purpler than my natural lip color. AND IT HAS GREEN SPARKLES. The name is very apt and I think my Chanel Satin is going to have a run for its money on which gets to live in my purse.

Ice Queen is a bit of a let down. It is through no fault of Ice Queen's own, as a matte ice blue it is quite unique and for a blue has pretty darn good coverage and is easy to apply. The color just doesn't quite work with my skin tone. I'm going to try putting different glosses on top and see what that does for me.