Vitae Clothing's Usagi's High Tea Giveaway

Vitae Clothing is doing a giveaway of their new print, Usagi's High Tea. It is an incredibly adorable print, so get in on this while you can! They are giving away a jumperskirt in one of four colors (white, black, blue, and pink). I've posted the link below to their livejournal, which explains the rules for entering.

"I follow Vitae Clothing and I love Bunnies!"

Fashion Meme

I have noticed that a lot of lolita bloggers have been posting memes lately, so I decided to do one. Since I don't know if I would consider myself a lolita, officially, I decided to post a more general fashion meme.

A: What accessories do you wear everyday?

I wear two rings, a silver and gold heart shaped one with diamond chips that my boyfriend gave me, and a silver one that has a sort of vine-line design that I got from Avon. I also always wear a nose stud. I used to wear nose rings a lot, but I don't really wear them anymore, I like that the studs are discreet. I usually wear a necklace of some kind as well.


B: What is your beauty routine?

I shampoo and condition my hair, of course. I use Dove gentle exfoliating body wash, two different Biore facial cleansers (one in the morning and one at night), a night serum, and toner, moisturizer (with spf), and an under-eye brightening roller during the day. I sometimes use an asprin and honey mask that I make, I got it from a Michelle Phan tutorial.


C: What was the last item of clothing (for yourself) that you purchased?

I just ordered an off-white bolero cardigan, some off-white heels, a tote, and a headband from Bodyline. I also recently bought a simple black cardigan.


D: Do you use a dresser, closet, or both?

Both, I put t-shirts, jeans, etc. in the dresser, and hang up pieces like dresses.

E: What type of earrings are in your ears right now?

I'm not wearing any right now, but my favorites are these silver ones with little black roses on them that my boyfriend bought me at the Renissance Fair. I also like big ghetto hoops, it's one of my things.



F: What type of figure do you have?

I'm overweight, I won't lie, but I've been loosing weight. I'm short, and I'm lucky to have an hourglass shape.


G: Do you wear glasses?

I usually wear contacts, but occasionally I wear my black cat-eye frames by zip + homme




H: What type of handbag do you carry?

I change it up every 6 months or so, but I've been carrying a big shiny black pleather handbag for a while.


I: What is your ideal style?

I can't decide. Something feminine, classy, sexy, cute, fun, glamorous, that's totally me. I love lolita fashion, and I know that's not "sexy", but I like to look glam and sexy sometimes, other times I like to be cute and demure. I am inspired by Rococo, Baroque, Mideval, Renissance, Tudor, Regency, and Victorian fashions. I am inspired by many Japanese fashions, namely lolita, but I also like mori/natural-kei, fairy-kei, and hime gyaru. I live in the south, and I'm inspired by the whole southern debutante thing as well. I like poofy skirts, cardigans, sweater dresses with leggings and boots, sundresses with floppy hats, gothic fashions, sun hats, pearls, and white gloves.



J: What jewelry are you wearing right now?

Just the two rings I mentioned earlier, and my nose stud.


K: Do you wear knee-hi stockings?

Totally. I'm short, so I usually do tights or leggings though.



L: Do you *have* to wear matching lingerie?

No, but matching lingere is cute.

M: Do you wear makeup?

Yes. Most days I use primer, foundation, powder, concealer, eyeshadow, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, and mascara. A lot of the time I use blush and lipstick or lipgloss. Some days I just dab on a little concealer and powder.


N: Do you wear nightgowns?

I have one, I usually prefer pj pants and a tank top.

O: What outerwear do you put on when going out on a typical winters day?

I love scarves, and I have light hoodies, thicker hoodies, and a black peacoat, depending on how cold it is. I don't like thick gloves or mittens because I have trouble using my hands with them on.



P: What is your favorite perfume?

Blood Countess by Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs is my signature scent. It's lovely. I also like Avon's
Be Kissable.



Q: Is your motto "quality over quantity" when it comes to clothing and accessories?

No. I prefer to have nice things than a lot of cheap stuff. Not that I'm knocking cheap stuff, I'm not embarassed to buy things from Walmart and Goodwill. The pieces I really love though are my nicer things. Even if they didn't cost a ton, like this cocktail dress I got a Ross for twenty bucks, it's a well made dress, and I love it. I don't have a closet full of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright or Prada, but I still appreciate quality.



R: Do you wear rain boots?

No, but I really want a pair! (Oh no, another item for the list!)

S: Do you wear socks or slippers when your feet get cold?

I'm almost always wearing socks, because my feet are always cold.


T: Do you have a set of travel luggage?

Nah, I don't travel often enough to worry about that.


U: What is your daily uniform?

I like dresses or skirts that come a little above the knee, boots or mary janes, leggings or tights, and a cardigan or light hoodie. I wear jeans and tees plenty though.


V: If you are married, did you wear a veil with your wedding dress?

I'm not married yet, but I'm sure I will, I love veils.



W: Do you wear a watch?

No, whenever I wear one I become obsessed with what time it is.

X: What item of clothing always makes you feel eXtremely beautiful?

A nice dress, usually black, with high heeled boots.



Y: What is your favorite type of yarn?

Soft yarn? I don't really know how to answer that.


Z: Do you prefer zippers or buttons?
 
Depends on where they are. On tops and most skirts, I prefer buttons, on jeans I like zippers.

Bodyline Purchase

I just ordered a few things from the dreaded Bodyline. They have some stuff that is really cute, and although I really don't like their prints, they have some cute simple stuff (blouses, cardigans, shoes, etc.) So here are the things I ordered, I am excited! (This is my first *brand* purchase, and I'm really excited about that, even though it's Bodyline and not Baby, lol.)

I got this bow in the lighter pink color, I didn't really care for the dark pink. It's part

 of an outfit I'm planning, which incorporates baby blue, pale pink, and off-white.

I thought this bag was cute, and even though I don't usually

care for loud, super sweet prints, I think that in a bag it's ok, becaus 

 there's not a lot of print exploding everywhere. (The older I get,

 the more I like more cassic styles, like Victorian

Maiden and Innocent World). It also matches the

 aforementioned outfit I'm planning.

I got this cute, simple cardigan in off-white. I wish there was a better picture

of it in that color, but alas. (The manequin in the picture weirds me out,

it's just so naked! I feel like I'm looking at something I shouldn't be, lol!)

Anyway, this piece really speaks for itself, it's just a basic piece.

My absolute favorite part of my order! These shoes are why I placed an

order in the first place. :) They are off-white, and I can incorporate them into

non-lolita outfits as well. I'm very excited, I've never had any lolita shoes before!

Last but not least, I got this cute, fluffy shoulder bag for my friend Himemiya!

I wanted to get her a little present, and I thought that this is just the cutest thing!

I hope she likes it!

So, there's my first Bodyline order, I hope that the pieces look good in real life, lol. I also hope that that cardigan will fit over my boobs! I'm also crocheting a little bag, and when I finish (and make sure I'm doing it right, lol) I will post a tutorial.

-Mariko

Lolita things that I miss

I really miss some of the things that are no longer in fashion, or considered "ita". I really hate that word, I think it's kind of snarky. I do understand why some things are considered "ita", because they are really tacky. But I really miss some things that were very in when I first became interested in lolita.

1) Black and White.

When did this go out of fashion? I think it's a tragedy. I love the black and white combo, it can be classic or gothic, and it's so pretty. This pic is a Baby jsk that I just looked at on their site today, so at least black and white is not totally dead.













2) Square headbands

 I always thought that these headbands were cute! I just don't understand why they are never worn anymore. Now, I love the bows and the hats that are in now, don't get me wrong, but I kind of miss these.









3) When Sweet Lolita prints weren't so scary sweet.

Now, I have to start off by saying that I think Dreamy Dollhouse is pretty adorable. But some of the prints out there now are so loud! Now, that's just my personal taste, I know, but it seems like it's harder to find simpler prints, because the loud ones are so in vogue. I have to admit that Angelic Pretty has never been in my top five (I know, *gasp*, blasphemy! lol). I used to prefer more gothic or classic styles, now I prefer a classic/country type style, but honestly this print kind of scares me. I don't want to say that I think it's horrible, and I definately don't want to hurt anyone's feelings if this is their favorite print ever, I'm just not feeling it I suppose.


I love the stuff that's in right now (most of it anyway), but I just needed to wax nostalgic for a moment.

Bonbon de Sucre: Revamped, with a new mission, a new(ish) look, and a new flavor!

So, I had to put this blog on hold for a while, since I was finishing school (I have my A.A. degree now, yay!). In that time, I decided that I wanted to sort of change Bonbon de Sucre, into something a little more eclectic.
I love Gothic and Lolita fashion, I love Victorian, Baroque, Rococo, Renissance, etc. fashion, I love Cyber and Steampunk. I love costumes, and I have cosplayed quite a few times. However, I also love Haute Couture, and just mainstream fashion. I'll wear a hoodie from American Eagle just as soon as I would wear a Baby jsk, or some prada shoes (not like I could afford them). I just love clothing, shoes, and accessories. I've also recently gotten into some different styles, like mori and hime gyaru, which I am interested in. My point is, I'm not a lolita, I'm not mori, or goth, or anything. I'm just me, and I love fashion. I also love crafting. I'm learning how to do embroidery, and I'm expanding my sewing and crocheting skills. I love making things, and I want to incorporate some diy tutorials in this blog. So here are some things you may want to know about me (or not, I don't really know, lol):

* I am not an expert in Lolita.

I love love love lolita. I lean more towards the Classic, and a little country if I feel like it. My favorite brands are Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (which although I am not into a lot of the super sugary sweet stuff they have that is so in right now, will always have a place in my heart), Victorian Maiden, Mary Magdalene, Innocent World, and I even think that Bodyline has some cute accessories.
I don't own any brand stuff, at least not currently. I have been into lolita, from an aesthetic point of view, for about four or five years. So I don't want anyone to think that I'm trying to act like I know more than I do, because I know I'm not an expert. Just an admirer, who draws lots of inspiration from lolita.
(I'm currently making a light blue skirt with offwhite lace, and I'll post updates about that! I'm also saving up money, slowly but surely, for my first brand piece).

* I am not an expert in historical fashion

I'm not going to be 100% historically accurate, but I will try to be as accurate as I can when posting about historical fashion.

*I am not an expert in fashion of any kind, really.

* What I am, is a girl who loves fashion. I admire great style in whatever form it comes in. I just can't pick one and stick to it, because they are all so fabulous!
So, I hope you like my blog. It's going to be pretty ecclectic, but I think that that can be a very good thing.
Thanks for reading!
-Mariko

Coming Soon:
Pics to inspire, of various styles
My project updates (blue lolita skirt, yellow sundress, and other projects that I haven't thought of yet)
Craft tutorials
Also, my friend Himemiya and I are going to start craft days, complete with tea and movies. I'll post our projects and reviews of the movies we watch.