Outfit: Pastel Batty Girl

Hello again lovelies!

Another outfit post for you!

I think Mondays are pretty good days for postings, right?  I prep 'em on the weekend, then post 'em Monday morning!

Hopefully Monday postings will make your day a little brighter. ^^

Anyway, this outfit was inspired by all of the pastel spooky pixels I've seen on tumblr lately.  I love spooky-cute stuff!

Let's go!

Details from the top down:

Skull Ribbon Clips: Target

Sailor Moon Earrings: hobbit.town Jewelry

Jacket: Pinkly Ever After

Seifuku Top: Bodyline

Bow Ring: Love Culture

Shorts: Savers

Bat Tights: Holley Tea Time

Shoes: Bodyline

First off, I'd like to apologize for the lighting.  I have plenty of space in this area of my apartment to take full body outfit shots, but the lighting is definitely not the best.  I'm playing around with my tripod in different areas of my humble abode to make sure I get the best lighting possible, so don't be alarmed if the location for these shots changes in the next few posts!

So for this coordinate, I wanted to look like one of the bats on my tights.  A bit silly, but lots of fun!  The bat itself is lavender, so my lavender seifuku top worked perfectly!  The fact that it's also white fits in with the melty moons, eyeballs, bones, and such on my tights.  The pink jacket fits with the background of the tights, so I had a good color balance on top and bottom.  There was a bit of black in the outlines of the designs on the tights, so I paired everything with my favorite black high waist shorts.  The dark color and cut of the shorts also created a nice body shape and contrast to the light colors in my outfit.  For shoes, I went with my Bodyline ribbon shoes.  These are one of my favorite pairs of shoes because they're so comfortable.  Seriously, they're my most comfortable pair of stylish shoes that I own.  I think I'll have to get them in black as well. xD

As far as accessories go, I just wanted to use things that fit in with the color scheme of the outfit, so the pink bow ring and my pink and purple sailor moon earrings did the job.  The entire outfit itself is pretty loud, so I didn't want to pile on the jewelry.  

To top it all off, I tried to style my hair to look like bat wings.  I tied it up in twin tails and teased it to give it more shape.  Unfortunately, a big rainstorm hit after class that day, so by the time I took these photos, my hair had fallen considerably.  But all was not lost, as I had my super cute skull ribbons in!  I bought them in the dollar section at Target during the Halloween season, but I haven't worn them much in the past couple of years since they didn't seem to go with anything in my closet.  I was digging through my hair accessory bin (yes, bin) right before I had to run out the door, and at the bottom I saw these and knew they would work wonders with this coordinate.  

The many layers in this outfit kept me warm on a chilly Autumn day, and I was a little drop of color in the otherwise gray, gloomy day.  I had great fun sporting this look around campus, and the receptionist at the Student Service Center said I looked like a pink, fuzzy bunny!  Not exactly what I was going for, but pink fuzzy bunnies are super cute so it's still an awesome compliment!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I'll have plenty more outfit posts to show you in the coming weeks!

If you like what you read, please consider following me here on Google or on Bloglovin!  I definitely appreciate your support.

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

August Favorites!

Hello again everyone!

August has come and gone, which means it's time for a favorites post!

I have quite a lot of beauty products this month, but as always I have music, anime, and other things as well!

Let's go!

Beauty/Fashion:

Benefit's Coralista Blush

I bought this when I went and picked up Benetint at Sephora, but I didn't use it immediately so I couldn't review it at all.  Now that I've used it, I've fallen in love with it!  The only blush I had before I bought this was a bright candy pink, and that doesn't always work with every look.  This color on the other hand, works for just about any look you can pull together.  This blush is a lovely peach-y coral color with just a hint of gold shimmer.  Just putting a bit of this on your face makes you look wide-awake and glowy!

This product comes with a magnetic close box, and a small brush with a wooden handle.  Usually I'm not a fan of the brushes that come with blush, but I'm actually fond of this one.  This also has the lovely rose scent that the Benetint does, so I'm going to take a guess and say that most of their products smell like roses.  It's pretty awesome!

Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer

I've had this product for quite some time now, but I just started to use it regularly since I prefer not to wear a full face of foundation during the Summertime.  The Texas heat can melt make-up pretty quickly.  This concealer provides just enough coverage under my eyes and on my acne scars to give me a little confidence boost while letting my skin breathe and letting its natural glow shine through.  

This product has a liquid consistency with a sponge applicator.  You twist the red top, then the product will come out of the sponge when you apply it to your face.  It's very convenient to have the applicator attached to the product, so you can carry it in your backpack or your purse for touch ups if you need them.  

In the Winter season, you can wear this without setting it with anything, but in the Summertime, you'll need to set it with some powder so it doesn't melt off because of the liquid consistency.

OGX's Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco

I didn't really have to do much in the way of hair care before I bleached the ends and did the ombre pink style, but afterwards, I was trying different things to keep my hair healthy and soft, and nothing seemed to work.  Just about every YouTuber out there was talking about argan oil, so I decided to give it a try--and it worked!  I was a bit skeptical about putting oil in my hair, since I didn't want my hair to look greasy, but this product doesn't make my hair greasy at all.  After using this argan oil, my hair is much softer, I have less split ends, and it's much easier to brush through.  Anyone who has bleached their hair should definitely use this.  

I was worried that argan oil would be expensive, but I found these at my local supermarket for under $10 each.  I use the oil (on the left) after I wash my hair.  I put a few drops into my hands, then work it through my hair.  Afterwards, I take a comb and comb it through so it'll get even coverage.  I use the spray formula (on the right) before I put any heat on my hair, usually my straightener to do my bangs.  I hold the bottle away from my head, spray this on my hair, then style as normal.  The spray formula protects my hair from heat, and keeps it soft even after styling.  I also use this formula on dry hair every couple of days when it looks like it needs some extra moisture.

Garnier's Nourishing Cleansing Oil

I used up the last of my make up remover wipes, and needed another make up remover.  I was just going to buy the wipes again, but I decided to try something different--cleansing oil to be exact.  I've read plenty of articles about the benefits of oil cleansing, and how easily cleansing oils remove make up, so I went to look for one to try.  A lot of the cleansing oils mentioned by various YouTubers were very expensive, but I was able to find this Garnier cleansing oil for six dollars at Target.  Just as a warning, this product does contain mineral oil.  That doesn't bother me at all, but some people don't like using products with mineral oil in them, or it irritates their skin.  Make sure to read the ingredients on your products before using them!  Though like I said, the mineral oil in this product doesn't bother me at all.  Actually, this product has done great things for my skin!  Just one or two pumps of this removes all of my make up easily without too much scrubbing or pulling, and my skin feels incredibly soft.  After I use the oil, I use some water to emulsify it, then I use my Aveeno foaming cleanser for a good double cleansing.  If you want to try a cleansing oil for an affordable price, I definitely recommend this one!  One last thing--this cleansing oil has a strong fruity scent, so if you don't like scented products, you may not like this one.  But for people like me who like their products to smell great, you'll love it too!

Maybelline Eye Studio Enticing Emerald

I picked up this eye shadow palette on a whim because I liked the champagne highlight color in it, but I actually really like all of the colors in this palette.  All of the colors are so pigmented and have a lovely shimmer to them.  Most of the shadows I have are matte, and I wanted more shimmer shadows to play with, so I was glad that I could find this palette and pick it up.  The champagne and gold colors are great for everyday use, while the green shades are good to add a pop of color or go all out for a fully blended emerald look!  This palette could be fun to do an Emerald City Wizard of Oz look in the future. ;)

White Sunhat with Sequins

I've always wanted a sunhat with a wide brim, and I finally found one!  I took a friend to Wal Mart to pick up a few things, and while we were walking around I saw this hat and knew it would be perfect for some pool time at the end of the Summer!  I used it the other day when I went to swim, and it provided some good shade and great style as I read a book while lounging by the pool.  I love the silver sequins that are woven into the hat, as I think they give it a bit of fun.  You may see this hat in a few more outfit posts before the Autumn season fully kicks in.

Pinkly Ever After's Princess Crystal Ribbon

If you've been reading this blog for a while, I know you've seen these!  Pinkly Ever After's Princess Crystal Ribbons will always be one of my favorite things, but I decided to feature them in this favorites post because I wore them quite a lot in August.  They're big, whimsical, and they make people smile whenever I wear them.  You can wear just one or both, and they're sure to please!  As well as mint green, they also come in red, pink, and lilac.  

 Treat:

Almonds and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations.  While I was in Germany, there was a chocolate bar that I liked to eat called Ritter Sport, and they came in all sorts of flavors.  One of my favorites was the Alpine milk chocolate with almonds.  While you can find some flavors of Ritter Sport in the US, you can only find them in certain places.  Since the town I go to school in is a very small town, you can't find Ritter Sport anywhere, but I saw these at the grocery store and decided to give them a try.  They aren't exactly like the Ritter Sport, but they're still super tasty!  Sweet with a bit of a crunch in the middle from the almonds.  If you're in the mood for something sweet and have a taste for nuts, give these a try!

Anime:

AKB0048

I was a bit hesitant to watch this anime at first, since AKB48 is a bit of a controversial group because of its management.  I love the girls, but I don't like the way their management treats them and runs things.  A lot of my friends had watched this anime and fell in love with it, so one night I made some snacks and sat down to watch it--and I marathon-ed the whole first season in two days.  This anime is such a huge reminder of why I love to perform.  Here's a plot synopsis from Anime News Network:

"At the start of the 21st century, an interplanetary war broke out. Earth's ecosystem was damaged, and humanity was forced to flee the planet. In this new society, things that "disturb the heart" like music and art are forbidden. 48 years later, a legendary idol group is resurrected as AKB0048. Labeled as terrorists, they must take up arms to defend their careers and their fans."

This plot synopsis gives a good background of the world the anime takes place in, but not much about the characters.  The anime is centered around Nagisa and her friends Yuka, Orine, and Chieri who are inspired by an AKB0048 concert they saw as children, so they audition themselves, and become a part of the new generation of 0048 trainees.  The story follows them and the AKB0048 members as they perform concerts even against the anti-entertainment government agency, DESU.  

The journey that the girls go on is so much fun to watch.  You watch them work hard in lessons, get to know each other in the dorms, and go through various challenges that are involved in the idol industry, as well as the challenge of being entertainers against the law, even if some of their family members are against it.  The story is one that touches my heart as a performer, and it honestly makes me want to listen to AKB48 again...which was probably one of the goals of this anime being created anyway.  The music in the anime are AKB48 songs that I'm familiar with like Aitakatta, RIVER, Beginner, Shonichi, Heavy Rotation, and more.  

This series also inspired me to cosplay!  My favorite 0048 member is Nyan-Nyan, or 8th generation Kojima Haruna.  Her character is like a magical girl, and she carries a magical heart wand with her onstage while she sings to knock out those government issued robots and protect her fans!

She's so stinkin' cute!  She's whimsical, fun, but also cares a lot about her friends and trainees.  She has some very relatable moments throughout the series, but I can't tell you about them without spoilers, so you'll just have to watch the series for yourself!

Another one of my favorite members is AKB0048's manager, but if I show you a picture of her and talk about her, you'll immediately know her character twist and it'll ruin the surprise!  If you're an AKB48 fan, or a previous fan, you'll definitely enjoy this show.  Even if you're not a fan, you'll love the girls and the catchy music, and you'll learn some of the ins and outs of the idol industry.

Music:

Katy Perry's Prismatic Concert

My last favorite for this month is the Katy Perry Concert I went to see with my friend Kelly!  Katy has been an inspiration of mine since she came on the scene, and her albums are always in circulation on my iPod.  Her show was so much fun...almost indescribable!  She had the ability to connect with her audience even though there were thousands of people in the stadium--it was amazing!  She sounds great live, and her costumes were fabulous of course.  Seeing everything gave me so much inspiration for concerts that I want to put on with my music, and with my girls in Kira Kira Entertainment!

If you want to see some pictures from Katy's tour, check this out!

Click me!

I hope you liked this favorites post, and if you've tried any of these products, let me know how you like them!

Thank you so much for reading, and if you like what you read, please make sure to follow me here on google, or on bloglovin!

See you next time!

xoxo

Martha

June Fashion!

Hello all you lovely people!

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!

xoxo

Martha

Review: Pinkly Ever After

Hey there honey bears!  It's time for my first product review!  Wahoo!

Today I'll be reviewing my latest order from one of my favorite brands:  Pinkly Ever After!

For those of you who don't know, Pinkly Ever After is "a brand for girls who are curiously drawn to light and happy pastel color combinations based on different types of pink."  Designer Robin and her partner and model Leah like to think of themselves as the Magical Fairy Godmothers of all of the magical girls all over the world!  In the Pinkly Ever After Shop, they sell "Pinkly Ever After originals, Japanese select shop items and vintage findings that came right out of the fairytale book."

You can find out more about PEA (and the quotes used above) on their website!

Actually, you see a Pinkly Ever After item every time you visit my blog!  Where?  Check out my sidebar image!

It's the Magical Lalala Star Princess dress!  As you can see, I have the pink version.  ^^  This dress was my first PEA purchase, and I love it to pieces!  I've worn it twice so far, and people are always impressed by it.

For my most recent order, I ordered these items:

Princess Crystal Ribbon in Mint:

And the Candy Chick Jacket in Pink!  I apologize, the stock photo seems to have been taken down!  But let's get on with the review!

                                      

They always send their stuff in pink packaging!  Too cute!

The first thing out of the packages are the Princess Crystal Ribbons!  Check 'em out!

I love the fabric they're made out of and the jewel in the center is so adorable! The bows have an alligator clip on the bottom to put into your hair.  Most bows have the clip on the back of the bow, but I'm glad these don't so they'll stand up better!  But as you can see, one of them is a little wonky.  I tried moving it around and tugging on the edges but that just seems to be the way it was made.  

You can see the difference in the quality between the bows on the back as well.  The first ribbon is impeccably well made, and has a very clean finish.  The bow above it on the other hand seems to be a little thrown together.  It was like they were at the end of their fabric and wanted to use every last bit of it.  I'm all for being economical, and it's not a huge deal, but I can't help but be a little disappointed in the difference in quality between the two.  I don't think it's all too noticeable when you're wearing them together, but when you're examining them together for a review it's hard to miss.  

I wore the well-made bow last Monday for a little pick me up, and here's how it looked!

It's so perky!  I'm very happy with the way this looks.  I've tried to clip in other bows that I have to a half updo, but they tend to sit flat on my head rather than be obnoxious and perky, which is what I wanted from this product.  I love the color as well.  Mint green goes so well with pink, and I think the color is very true to the stock photos they posted.

Overall I give the Princess Crystal Ribbons a 4/5 stars.  I had to take a star off for the wonkiness of one of the bows, but there was nothing wrong with the other, and they are both sturdy either way.

I want these in every color. XD

Before I get to the main event (the jacket), let me show you the little freebies that came with my order!

First we have some stick on nails!  I've never seen this kind of design for nails before!  It's super cute!

The instructions are all in Korean, so I'm glad there are pictures!  I think you stick the nail sticker on, and then cut off the excess material on the ends.  I'll post a photo on my instagram when I try them out!

At first I didn't know what this was, but after taking it out of its little plastic sleeve I discovered it was a STICKER!  Rilakkuma is adorable, but I didn't have anything Rilakkuma until I received this!  It's super cute, and I put it on my laptop along with all of my other cute stickers.

PEA always includes a few pieces of candy with their products, and since I have a sweet tooth, I definitely appreciate that!  The candy I got in my last order was muscat flavored and super delicious.  This time, it's a strawberry milk candy!  The little cow on the package is too cute!

Here's what the actual candy looks like.  Heart shaped!  I tried one and it has a nice strawberry flavor, and is slightly creamy.  I have the other in my backpack for an emergency. xP

The last freebie I received is a photo card with a lovely note on the back!  Robin and Leah are so sweet, and it warms my heart to know that they take the time to hand write these.

Here is the front of the card!  Leah is a wonderful model, and their studio is really magical!  This will go in my cute picture collection!

Now, on to the main event:  The Candy Chick Jacket!  I really wish I could've found the stock photo...Leah looked wonderful modeling this.  Anyway, let's take a look!

The jacket came wrapped up safely in a plastic sleeve, all nicely folded.

As you can see from the tag, this item isn't a PEA original, but a resale item.  I think it's pretty cool that they have a variety of different items in their store, but they always make sure they're cute and magical!

One thing that surprised me about the jacket though...when I opened the plastic sleeve, the jacket had a very distinct smell.  Like a very strong perfume or something.  I'm not sure whether PEA sprayed it with something, but nothing in my previous order had this scent to it so I'm assuming it was from the previous owner.  But, like most resale items, the smell came out after a wash, so no worries!

Here's an outfit I put together with the jacket!

I LOVE this jacket!!  It makes me feel like a 90's pop star. XD  I did my hair in low pigtails, and it reminded me of old school Britney.  As well as being super cute and stylish, this jacket is also very comfortable and warm.  I felt like I was wearing a hug!  I've also worn this to a few sleepovers at my neighbor's apartment, and it goes so well with my pink pajamas.  I'll be using this in a photo shoot later so keep an eye out!

Here's a happy Martha with her new jacket!

And as you can see, I'm wearing my rose quartz necklace that Natsume so kindly bought for me at All-Con.  I thought it gave the whole outfit an eclectic look.

The Candy Chick Jacket gets a 5/5 stars from me!

The overall rating for this order is a 4.5 out of 5, only losing points for the one wonky bow.

Pinkly Ever After is a wonderful, magical shop that is perfect for anyone who loves cute and pastel colored fashion!  Their most recent collection includes some more sophisticated wear in lovely colors like peach and a light salmon pink.  

Please go check out their store!

Go support their amazing art and have fun spreading your magical cuteness to the world!

Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha