I want to start introducing my fashion inspirations to you, and today I'm going to start with a brand that I've just gotten into recently: Swankiss!
Swankiss is considered part of the Gyaru style, and also fits well with Himekaji style as well. The shop concept for Swankiss is:
"A girl with a garland of flowers in her blond hair dances happily in a jewel box.
What a romantic, sweet, fanciful world. Apparel that girls around the world want to wear when they are happy. A space where you can shine like a white swan and never loose your girlish feelings. That's Swankiss."
An interesting concept, right? A lot of the shop concepts from Japanese fashion brands almost seem like mini stories, or mini worlds, like they've created a world of their own for you to live in. It's fun, isn't it?
Anyway, check out some of the amazing fashion from Swankiss!
Isn't everything wonderful? That ballet slipper bag in particular is calling out to me. XD
Everything in this brand has a very dreamy, feminine feel and I love that. It's soft, but it has just the right amount of quirkiness to it to make it different from other girly brands I've seen. Sugary sweet, but sassy at the same time. I've felt myself being more drawn to gyaru fashion these days, and Swankiss stood out to me as something different from the rest.
I also really like the personal style of Saaya Hayashida, founder and creative director of the brand. She fully embodies what Swankiss is, and honestly the only way I can think of to describe her style is a ballerina with attitude! Making my twin tails as fluffy and fabulous as hers are is now a new life goal.
Let's take a look at some things that they currently have on sale, shall we?
Too much cute in one place! I'm in love with the two one-pieces, the bandeau, and the beret! Those fuzzy shoes are pretty fabulous too.
They have a lot more lovely things on their website!
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little introduction on Swankiss! Actually, Miss Hayashida is at Anime Expo in LA this weekend with Kawaii International at the NHK booth! If any of you are in the area, y'all should definitely go and check it out!
That's all for now, but I'll be back with more lovely things for you soon! Oh! And Happy July everyone!
Thank you for reading, and see you in my next post!
I'm so excited to write this post, because today, I'm going to show you my favorite products for the month of June!!!
I love watching monthly favorite videos on YouTube and reading monthly favorite posts on blogs, so I thought I might start doing my own! Not only will I be featuring fashion and beauty products, but music, anime, and food products as well, or anything else I just can't get enough of. I like to cover a wide range. x3
I've been totally enraptured by anything and everything galaxy print this month! I've always been interested in outer space, and it's starting to leak into my fashion choices! The above two items are things I've been eyeing on Etsy, and I may purchase them soon. If you follow me on Instagram, then you'll have seen my galaxy nails in pink and purple that I've done this month. I even changed my Tumblr theme to a galaxy print for a while.
Maybelline Line Stiletto
So I was looking for a liquid liner in a brown color, and the Covergirl liner I tried really wasn't working for me, so I bought this product on a whim when I went grocery shopping. I wasn't expecting to be so wowed by this product, but I've been using it a lot since I bought it. I got it in the color brownish black, and it's nice for a softer look. The applicator has a felt tip which is great because it gives you a lot more control than a brush tip does, and it applies on very smoothly. You have to wait a minute for it to dry, but once it's dry, it's dry! I've had no creasing problems with this product, even after wearing it for a dance concert and leaving it on for the Saturday of a Comicon! It has incredible staying power and doesn't flake off, but it comes off easily with your make up remover of choice.
Lip Smackers Starburst Lip Balm
I am SUCH a lip balm junkie. I always have three or four at a time, one in my purse, one in my backpack, one in my bathroom...I just like lip balm a lot. I've tried so many different brands of lip balm I can't remember them all, but none of them work as well as Lip Smackers. I've been using them since childhood, and they've never failed me! I tried to get into the organic beeswax lip balms like Burt's Bees, but they never felt right and I kept having to reapply constantly. With Lip Smackers I never have that problem. The newest one I tried this month is the Cherry Kiwi Starburst flavor. My mom gave it to me since she received it in a goodie bag but didn't want flavored lip balm. Since I received it, this is the ONLY lip balm I've been using this month. It's that good. It goes on so smooth, and it smells amazing. Super fruity and sweet. It also leaves a great shine and just the slightest hint of a reddish pink color on your lips. If you like sweet lip balm, definitely give it a try!
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara
Before I left for Germany last month, I threw away the mascara I had been using since December, which was NYX's Pin Up Tease. It's a great mascara, but I only wanted to take a travel size to Germany, and you're only supposed to keep mascara for like three months so...yeah. Once I got back to Texas, I had to buy a new one. There was a lot of hype surrounding this product, and the name was just too cute to resist, so I bought it. I was seriously floored by this mascara when I first put it on! I had lost my eyelash curler when I started to unpack, so I had to do without it, but with this mascara you don't even need it for an everyday look. This stuff makes your lashes look super fluffy and full. I've been using it every day that I've worn make up, and during performances as well, and it's been working wonderfully. The only downside to this product is that it isn't waterproof. I couldn't find a waterproof formula when I bought it, but I've seen different variations on it now, so the next time I run out of mascara, I'll see if they have a waterproof version because this stuff is fantastic. Apply multiple coats for super dramatic lashes!
Clio Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liner
One of my favorite YouTubers, meejmuse, has been raving about these Clio Gelpresso eyeliner pencils for a long time, and since I love highlighting my inner corner and lower lash line, I decided to give this a try. The main reasons I bought it were because it's a gel formula, and it's a twist up pencil so I don't have to worry about sharpening it. XD I'm used to using a white cream pencil (usually NYX's Milk or Cottage Cheese) to highlight my eyes, but I wanted to try a more beige or champagne color for everyday wear so it's not quite so striking. I bought this in the color beige shine, and it's the pencil in the middle of the photo above, with the nude/beige ring around the bottom. Since this is a product from South Korea, I had to buy it on eBay, but I found it for a good price with free shipping, and it didn't take long to arrive at all! The seller even included a few sample products for me to try! I'm very pleased with this product as it's super creamy, long lasting, and easy to apply. It's the most gorgeous champagne gold color, with lots of shimmer.
Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder
This is another South Korean product that I heard about on YouTube, and it's perfect for Summer! I love my NYC translucent powder, but since the weather has been getting hotter, it hasn't been controlling the shine on my face as well as it did in the Winter and Spring months. Since I was already purchasing the Clio pencil on eBay anyway, I thought I would buy this and try it out. Innisfree advertises this product as a powder to control sebum (oil) on your face throughout the day, and to give your make up a flawless finish. I was a bit skeptical at first since most oil controlling powders look super cakey on my face, but because of all of the positive reviews I watched or read, I took the leap and bought it.
Out of all the beauty products on my favorites list, this one impressed me the most. I mean WOW. This is the product on this list that I've had for the shortest amount of time, but from the first time I used it, it has worked wonders! My foundation looked flawless after I applied this, and it helped me achieve a wonderful matte look. I wore it the first time for about eight hours or longer, and besides some slight eye shadow creasing (I didn't put on primer that day), my make up looked just as amazing as it did when I first applied it. I have no idea how they do it, but this product is definitely something I will continue to use. The tub of powder you get is actually quite small, but a little bit goes a long way. It's a loose powder that comes with a powder puff inside to apply it with, but you can also apply it with a brush if you prefer to do that. I definitely, definitely recommend this product. You can purchase it here!
Music:
Seven Lions
I started diving into the EDM genre of music this month, and the album that I've been listening to over and over again is Worlds Apart by Seven Lions, featuring artists like Kerli and Ellie Goulding. It's an amazing EP that sounds like it was made on another planet, and it takes you out of your head as you listen to it. It has that electronic sound you would expect from an EDM artist, but the songwriting present is truly something special, especially on the tracks where Kerli is involved. You can read my full review of this EP here.
Milk Tea
Since my departure from the Kpop fandom, I've been looking for some Independent artists from South Korea to listen to. Not many people know about the South Korean music industry outside of Kpop, myself included, so I did some digging and found the most adorable band! This group is called Milk Tea, and they're a duo signed with the Independent record label Juice Media. They have a sweet, mellow pop sound that I like a lot, and I bought their second album, Love Traveller, off of iTunes. I'm planning on doing a full post on this group, so stay tuned for that! For now, enjoy the insanely adorable music video for their most popular song, "Ramen King."
Anime:
Princess Jellyfish
My friends had been telling me about Princess Jellyfish, or Kuragehime, for a few years now, but other anime seemed to push it back every time I thought about watching it. One day this month, I stayed over at a friend's apartment, and she was shocked that I hadn't seen it, so all of us who were over marathoned the whole series in one night. Y'all. This series is SO GOOD. I was constantly laughing, and I found the cast of characters so colorful and weird, yet relatable at the same time. Check out the plot summary from Anime News Network:
"Amamizukan is an apartment complex where no boys are allowed. Tsukimi, a girl who adores jellyfish, lives there happily with her friends who all have nerdy obsessions of their own. Their peaceful lives gradually start to change when a beautiful woman helps Tsukimi out of a pinch. She stays overnight at the apartments—but it turns out 'she' is really a 'he.'"
As an introvert and a super nerd myself, I had a great time laughing at the situations these characters got into, and discussing with my friends how they reminded us of ourselves. Even if you aren't a nerd, I think you'll enjoy this lovable cast of characters and all of the silliness that goes on in their lives. You can watch this on on Netflix dubbed in English!
Snacks:
Watermelon
I don't know about y'all, but for me, it isn't Summer until I've had some watermelon! This is the fruit I eat the most of during the Summer, most others being forgotten because the only time I can eat good watermelon is during the hotter months! I eat it plain, with breakfast, or I'll make it into a refreshing drink! Any way you prepare it, watermelon is delicious!
Haribo Gummi Peaches
So in Germany, Haribo was EVERYWHERE. Seriously. I know that's where the company is based out of, but it was super cool to see it everywhere. I'm a gummy addict, so I tried a lot of different flavors, one of my favorite being peach. Peach flavored candy or soda is one of my biggest weaknesses, so eating these definitely makes me a happy camper. Chewy, sweet, peachy, and covered in sugar. Yup, heaven.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my June Favorites, and I hope you can try them out for yourself! Have you already tried some of them? Do you like them?
What are your favorites this month? Leave me a comment below!
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in my next post,
It's been a while since I've done a proper outfit post on here, but I have been keeping up with my favorite outfits this month! So, I've decided to do a post on my favorite fashion in June. This includes the colorful fashion I usually wear, and some new things I decided to try.
Let's go!
I wore the above outfit to an album release party at Spider House. Pojo the Idealist (who I went to high school with and acted in plays with) released his second album, Love, this month, and it's great! I'm so glad I was able to go and support his newest release. Anyway, my theme for the above outfit was Space Babe! XD Nothing says space babe like a galaxy unicorn top, right? Here's the rundown:
Top: Wal Mart
Ring: A gift--from a local artisan in Austin I believe
Ribbon: Holley Tea Time
Eye Jewels: JoAnn's
I liked playing with the make up for this look. I went for sharp, dark eyebrows, thick black eyeliner, and of course the jewels! I also tried something new with my hair. I took the shorter layers, twisted them, and pinned them to the side. That alone gave me the poof I wanted on top, but it looked unfinished, so I braided it and added a ribbon. I thought it was fun and whimsical, so I kept it! I also like how the pink in my hair goes with the purple and blue of the galaxy print.
Side note, I don't shop at Wal Mart anymore because I don't support the way they treat their employees. It's awful. T__T
This next outfit was just for a day running errands...but I wanted to look cute anyway. XD Here's the details:
Top: Target
Shorts: Macy's
Shoes: Dr. Martens via Zappos
Bunny Ring: Kira Kira Entertainment Shop
Bracelets: Dollar Store
I like the combination of black and pink, so that's what I went for in this look. I'm so incredibly excited about those Dr. Martens sneakers, they're so in-your-face and fashionable, but still super comfortable. I also like that this top has a bit of a high-low effect so I can show off just a bit of tummy without it being a full crop top. For make up, I played with the pink and black theme by putting pink eye shadow on the outer half of my eyes, and a grey shimmer on the inner half, blending well. I then put my thick black liner on top of it, and did the dark arched brows as well. This time, instead of leaving the lips neutral, I put on a magenta color using my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick.
This next outfit is one I wore at Texas Comicon once our Kira Kira Maids concert was over on Saturday! We went back to the hotel room quickly to change, then worked our booth and took turns wandering around. I didn't want to wear a cosplay because it was HOT, but I wanted to be wacky, cute, and have some character swag at the same time. So, here's the rundown!
Domo-kun Crop Top: H&M
Shorts: Target
Ribbon: Pinkly Ever After
Kitty Pin: Sweet Spirits
Bangle: Dear by Amanda Bynes
Sailor Moon Earrings: Hobbit Town Jewelry
Glasses: Rue21
While I was packing for this trip, I thought domo-kun would be perfect to bring along, and because it was so hot that weekend, the fact that it was a crop top was a plus! I'm still trying to figure out how to pose in crop tops because they're not something I'm used to wearing quite yet. Ah well, practice makes perfect! Anyway, the top is super comfy and soft, as well as super cute! Looking at the photos now, I'm not sure the shorts go too well with the pink on domo-kun, but there are worse things that could happen. Anyway, I was happy to make use of my Sweet Spirits Suzy Cat brooch again, and wear it with my Sailor Moon Earrings that I got at the convention! I'll be doing a review of Hobbit Town Jewelry in another post, so stay tuned for details!
My make up here is the make up I had on for the show: Black eyeliner, super fluffy lashes, and BRIGHT WHITE highlight under the eyes, as well as purple eye jewels. I could've gone without the glasses, but I put on so much highlight that at a close range I was afraid it would scare people, so the glasses balanced it out a bit. XD And they're just super cute, right? As far as hair goes, it had flattened out considerably after the show because of all of the dancing, so I threw it into a side ponytail and put on my Pinkly Ever After Princess Crystal Ribbon! Perfect! Those ribbons served me well that weekend, since I wore one every day of the convention!
I apologize for the lighting in the close up pictures being so orange! I'm still figuring out how to take good photos in hotel bathrooms...
This last outfit is by far the simplest, but sometimes you need to have those simple days. Here's the details:
Dress: Forever 21
Necklace and Earrings: Thrifted
That's it! XD Besides the sneakers which you can't see. I'll be working on taking good full body photos soon so these fashion posts can improve! Anyway, I wore this to see Silence the Musical, presented by Doctuh Mistuh productions at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre here in Austin. I wanted to go with something comfortable and classy for the theatre. This dress from Forever 21 has been one of my standbys for the past few years since it's comfortable, cute, and can be dressed up or down for any occasion.
I also went for simpler make up here, using a brownish black eyeliner and a gold/beige shimmery highlight under the eyes (which will be featured in my June Favorites post)! I did a gradient lip using my Covergirl Hot Passion lipstick on the inside of my lips.
As you can see in the last two outfits, I added purple to my hair! I wanted to try something a little different, and I've always loved the combination of lavender and pink! I think I'll keep this color combination for a while since I like it a lot. For the purple I used N Rage's Purple Plum and diluted it with a whole lot of conditioner! It's more of a blue based purple than a red based purple, but it works for me!
Whew! I hope y'all enjoyed my fashion rundown for June, and are looking forward to more fashion posts in July! I still have my June Favorites to post, a review on Hobbit Town Jewelry like I mentioned above, and a a haul with a discussion on sizes at one of my favorite stores. ;)
Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!
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