Listen Flavor 2016 Lucky Pack

Hello Everyone!

I'm not dead. I've just been in a long hiatus due to work and school commitments. I'll be trying to post some things up, but unfortunately can't make any promises. For now I wanted to share with you all my lucky pack from the Japanese clothing brand, Listen Flavor!

For those who don't know what Listen Flavor is it is a sort of a sweet and punk rock mix clothing style. The clothing are just super fun and cute yet has some edge to them depending on how you wear them. They've even done some anime and Hello Kitty collaborations. If anything you can maybe guess what kind of style they are knowing that they're based in Harajuku, Japan.

This is actually my first taste of Listen Flavor (excuse me for the pun ;P) and of course when it comes to Japan's New Year's packs then I couldn't resist! Now lucky packs in Japan are a big thing and are released on New Year's day. Think of of it like Black Friday of Japan, except in my opinion it's even better. One of the appeals is that it's the only time I can afford a lot of the Japanese clothing brands since I can get multiple things for a set price. The items inside a luck pack are worth more than the set price too which is an even better bargain. The only thing is that what's inside is a surprise!

This lucky pack was about $60 (not including international shipping) and I got it from KeraShop. You'll need a shopping service to buy from them and I used Tenso. There are a few other places that were selling them, but Kerashop had it at the exact retailed price in Yen (¥7000) so no mark ups! But honestly even with a markup it was only around $10 more at some other places. Each bag is supposed to consist of five items with an overall worth around $200, so obviously it was a pretty good deal to me!

Now onwards to the surprise!

The Bag! Every year it is different. I was actually surprised since it was kind of small, but when I opened it I saw that each item was wrapped really nicely and packed inside. Each item was individually wrapped in these plastic bags for clothes and had wax paper inserted to protect the prints from any staining or discoloration. Definitely makes packing much more efficient too. Though because of its size I'm not sure if I'll reuse it. I could kind of use it as a purse of some sorts for school. 

First item! This was actually a guaranteed item for all lucky packs. This year I wanted to limit myself to just one lucky pack and when I was looking around of which one I should try I saw pictures of this and immediately went, "YUP, Listen Flavor it is!" Of course the price was also another factor, but THIS SHIRT. I just like cats. 

YES, more cats! I LOVE this one. This is sort of a long light sweater dress, perfect with leggings under it. It's pretty big and long that I only took a picture of half its length. It's super pink too. It reminds of something out of the 80s, which I like.

Picture of the print on the back. Just super cute! 

 This one reminds me of beer bottle designs, especially when it's in black and white. Light hoodies are always nice. 

There's always a dud item in every lucky pack and this one is it for mine. I'm not sure what the designers were thinking, but it reminds me of those cheesy souvenir shirts from Las Vegas. Unless that is what they intended it to be, but my thoughts are just OUCH. I don't even think I can maybe even sell it so it'll be either a shirt I'll keep to sleep in or just lounge around the house in. It's also SUPER HUGE. So yup this and yoga pants for my super lazy days!  

GhostBuster knockoff cat version!!! I dig any shirt with cats on it. 

                                               

View of the print on the back. Sorry for the slightly washed out look, but the color is just like how it looks in the picture above so it's a vibrant dark blue. 

Overall Verdict

I'm pretty happy with this lucky pack. It's very fun and casual even though it may fall into the fairykei genre depending on how you coord them and so on. I would definitely wear them even to school paired with knee highs and shorts. Now the size I got was an M and by looking at the tags and other clothes online they seem to only have sizes M, L or Free. The lucky pack did not give me an option for a size and just came in M, which was better for me. I'm usually a size M in clothes from Japan despite being an XS-S in the States (I have boobs for an asian), but Listen Flavor is intended to be worn loose on those between a S and M. But because they are very loose and much bigger than normal they can fit girls (and boys) from a variety of sizes. I would say all of the shirts/hoodies that I got except for the cat ghostbuster knockoff shirt can even fit girls who are considered an L in US sizes. The cat ghostbuster shirt would fit between those who are S and M, with S being a little loose and M just fitting right. I like my t-shirts a little loose so M was perfect. So overall when it comes to sizes, Listen Flavor is one of the rare ones that will fit girls (and boys) of all sizes since a majority of Japanese clothing sizes tend to only fit girls between an S and M. I definitely highly recommend it for those who are looking for cute styles that can fit a much larger range of sizes! 

Now I can only hope to save up for some of the My Melody and Twin Little Stars collaborations! Until next time! 

DreamV/Yumetenbo Summer Shoe Haul 2014

Hello everyone! This post is dedicated to my summer shoe haul from DreamV. You can look up my first review/haul from them here. I don't want to go into much detail about them as I think there's enough information about them floating online already. In a nutshell though I really love this place for their shoes especially since the shipping is by how much you spend rather than weight. Of course I've been looking for some new shoes, especially heels! Now onto the goodies!

 Pumps

My first pair of pumps from DreamV!  I got these in pink beige though in my picture they're almost a little washed out. The color looks better in person and is more like a cream white with pink undertones. Originally I wanted these to be worn with some lolita outfits, but they're very classy on their own too. Unfortunately while I did get the small (23) they're kind of loose on me. Interestingly if you look carefully at the pictures on the main website they also look a little loose on the models too. So they ended up being those heels that I have to wear socks or tights with them or they look kind of odd with just my bare feet in them. 

Sandals

Sandal platform heels! I got these in flower white. Just love these heels. They're super cute and perfect for both Spring and Summer weather. I've probably worn these the most so far. They fit most of my outfits and make me super tall too! I also love that they have these little cushions at the heel so they make it a little more comfy, but due to the height they do eventually hurt my feet after a while. I also got these in a small (23), but funny thing is that they fit me better than the pumps despite being the same size. 

The most comfortable heels out of the three so far. I love the color even though I actually don't have much to pair it with besides jean shorts and a white top, which is quite cute anyways as it showcases the shoes ;). The size I chose was a 23 and they fit me perfectly. 

Overall Verdict

I love the shoes and prices that DreamV offers. The only thing is that sizes are hit and miss, which is to be expected when buying anything online. Unfortunately these hit and misses include the fact that some shoes are bigger and some smaller despite claiming to be the same size in cm, which I usually find to be more accurate when purchasing shoes online. For example my first DreamV haul consisted of two pairs of boots, one in small and the other in a medium. When I looked at the measurements in cm they both were 23cm and they both fitted perfectly. This time though while they all said 23cm, they all fitted me very differently. Though what did help a lot with these heels were that they had straps for the ankles. The straps were really helpful for the second pair of shoes yet the ones on the third were useless or unnecessary since the rest of the shoes fit me just right. Overall though I still like them and the quality is amazing for what I paid if not worth more than what they were selling for. So in the end I'm still happy and would still be going back for more! 

Thanks for reading and until next time! 

Bellzi Review: The most cuddliest and adorable Plush doll You'll Ever Want!

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a really long time since I last posted. This summer has actually been really busy for me with new things coming up for me in the Fall such as school! Though that's for another blog sometime in the far future. For now I wanted to share with you all a new starting company that makes the most adorable plush animals ever, Bellzi!

Now I'm not affiliated at all with this company nor am I being sponsored by them for this. I just wanted to spread such absolute cuteness since that's my passion! So short story is that I discovered this company during my time at Anime Expo 2014. I was just passing by and then saw this GIANT lamb plush at their booth in the exhibit hall. Of course since I have a penchant for cuteness I had to stop by and of course picked myself up a plush rabbit of my own!

The giant Lamb plush. They had a few that were large but smaller than this one. Not sure if they were on sale or could be custom ordered. As much as I want one this size there's just no way I can have the room space for it! 

Now what's so awesome about Bellzi besides making such adorableness in the form of a stuffed animal? Well it's that each plush is handmade! The company is also US based so it's one of those rare things you'll also find that actually states "Handmade in the USA". The plushies are also ridiculously soft and has the right amount of fluff to them too. They also have quite a line of different animals such as a rabbit, lion, raccoon, fox, etc. Their newest edition is currently the lamb and of course they won't be stopping there. Another thing that is nice is that they'll take custom orders so if you want for example the lion in purple, teal, or whatever color they offer you can request it! The prices also range between $40-$50 per plush, which put them on the pricier side, but honestly I feel like they're worth it! If I could I would collect them all!

My Bunny <3 with purple ears and feet. Check out Bellzi's personal insignia on his foot!

So check them out if you're a plush collector or also have a weakness for cute things! They're definitely great as gifts (baby showers, friend, or significant other ;), but of course you can treat yourself too!

Thanks for reading and until the next cute thing!

DreamV/Yumetenbo/夢展望 Haul Review

Hey everyone! Can you believe that it's nearly the end of April already? Spring is almost or practically over for those of us in Southern California now. We've been getting high 80's and early 90's degree fahrenheit weather here! Despite the typical warm ups, I can't help but still shop for things that are for colder weather :P. Another thing I can't help is seeing or getting cute things on sale! 

So I'm sure a vast majority of girls into asian fashion have heard of the awesome Japanese website called DreamV. Well I'm one of the late-comers on discovering this awesome site that has a bunch of cute and girly clothing and shoes that are all reasonably priced. First I did some research after constantly reading about them from other blogs and finally decided to take the plunge in making an account with Rakuten to make an order. Second I had to browse through pages and pages and pick out what I wanted! Third I ordered and waited for my order which took exactly a week from the day I ordered to when it arrived on my doorsteps.

Now I'm sort of bargain hunter at certain times as in I browse through things to check what's on sale and compare it to other places and sites. So naturally I just picked out a bunch of things that were on sale, which was pretty neat since DreamV ships by how much you spend rather than by weight! So in the end I got 2 pairs of boots and 3 pairs of shorts! My whole total? Around $55 or 
5674 円. 

Shoes

I've always wanted some knee high boots and sadly never got to own a pair! Well finally I now do :). Honestly I picked these since they were only a whopping 500 円. Since they were on clearance they only had the green and navy colored ones left. I chose the navy since the green reminded me of something that belonged in the toilet (-_-;). 

These boots are really cute and honestly I can't wait to wear them when it's Fall/Winter again! Sometimes I just wish I simply lived in a colder place (Ｔ▽Ｔ). They pretty much look exactly like the pictures. One thing I'm surprised about is how light they were! That makes walking in them easier. The materials are a little strange though. It's like lined with fabric foam though I assume it's to keep them insulated for colder weather. 

Sizing for those who have purchased or stalked other DreamV hauls before will know that they're funky. I got these in a small after checking out the measurement table on the sale's page and they fit beautifully! I was a little worried since according to most other bloggers and comments that their shoe sizes tend to be a size smaller than usual. Luckily I didn't have a problem with these after hours of checking the table, measuring my feet, and measuring other shoes that I got from Asia. 

Alright these ones are my favorite out of the haul <3. First they're exactly the type of knee high boots I've been looking for and have always wanted for years. Second, just like the previous boots, they're really light, easy to walk in, fits me perfectly, and cute to boot! Sorry for that lame pun couldn't help myself heh (　´∀｀).

I got these in the dark brown color. I kind of wanted the camel color, but some reviews for it said it sometimes came out more orange than the pictures. These were only 1500円. For that price I'm extremely happy with them considering that the cheapest I've seen boots like these are around $30 on sale at my local mall. In fact I can't even find some for that price even on Taobao. Unlike the previous boots though I got these in a size medium. Once again I had to take the time to read their measurement table and compare it with what I had. I also used the models' measurements for help since I discovered I was the same size as they were and they were wearing the mediums. 

I was able to wear them out for a day and I love the look of them. The zipper though is a little more prominent than I would like them to be, but they blend in after awhile (or I just got used to them and forgot about it haha). They fit just right and they stay up, though I don't think I can wear them with jeans, but I think they look cuter with shorts or skirts. Unfortunately I have to be careful with what I pair them up with though since according to some of my friends or rather what here in the States tend to call or view knee high boots, Hooker Boots (*￣m￣). 

Clothes/Shorts!!!!

I accidentally bought two pairs of these shorts, same color same size. Luckily they were only 477円 each. This was another item that was on sale hence the cheap ass price too and they only had this one color left. Luckily I liked this color! I also sort of didn't care since all of the colors seemed really cute and flower patterns are in right now  (✿◠‿◠).

The material isn't too bad, same stuff for like any patterned or colored non-jean shorts or pants. I got them in a medium size and they fit perfectly! I find it funny that they jump in sizes for example, S is for those with a waist of 23 (double 00) and medium is a 25 (size 1). I fall in between 24-25 (0-1) depending on brand and style. Now I know that most other shoppers and bloggers recommended a size up anyways for the clothes here, but that's not the case for everything just like the shoes. I'll elaborate more on that in the next piece and my overall verdict! 

                                    

These were like my only item that wasn't on sale or clearance yet at 800円 it was still cheap. Now I got these in a small! At first I almost immediately went to click on the medium, until I decided to also do the same for them as I did for the shoes and look at the measurement table closely. What did I find? Completely different measurements than the other shorts I got! Now the small is a size 24 and a medium is a size 26. 

They also fit me perfectly and despite having the rose pattern in white, they're not see through. The material is extremely light, thin, and stretchy. Now most of you might think that is a bad thing, but actually I don't find it to be made cheaply or anything. I'll now explain in my overall verdict on why :). 

Overall Verdict

DreamV has a lot to choose from, so much that sometimes I got overwhelmed. It's easy to navigate and it's a bonus that they ship internationally! Couple things though or rather tips to remember when shopping through them based on my experience: 

* Make an account through Rakuten's Global site and then use that to sign in on the Japanese version. This is helpful if you want to check out using the Japanese version since I tried to use the Japanese version w/o signing in first and I had trouble trying to check out. The way the Japanese website's shipping address part is set up is for domestic addresses. I'm assuming for those who were able to shop using the Japanese website's cart is when they signed up first through the global website and then signed in on DreamV's afterwards. I'll have to test this out more myself though.

* Be careful and make sure to choose between checking out using the Japanese website or the global rakuten's version, don't use both! This was why I accidentally bought two pairs of shorts as it caused a double checkout etc.

* If you want to check out using the Global version then I suggest looking up what you want through the original site first. The global will track what you looked at previously, which will give you links to add those items to your Global/English cart. Reasons for this is because I noticed not everything shows up on the English page especially items on sale!

* Read the measurement tables! This is super important as I know most other bloggers just say to buy a size up. This is not the case for everything! Read those tables that they provide and know you're own measurements. It's a pain, but in the end I think you'll get more things that will fit and that's satisfying!

* Quality of the clothes are another you get what you pay for sort of thing. Some will be more overpriced than others. One thing to note that not a lot of people talk about or mention is that a majority of clothes from Asia are made for their own weather. The shorts that I got are made perfectly for the hot and humid weather that a majority of East Asia experience during the summer (believe me I lived through it before!). They're super breathable, don't stick to you, and dry fast. Of course there are things that are simply made cheaply and sold cheaply and I admit the zippers and buttons they use are pretty cheap. 

* Clothing care to keep those clothes lasting longer! A thing to note is that a majority of clothes from East Asia are hand wash only or hang dry only. Dryers don't really exist there except in more western areas or they're too expensive. Places are also too small to even have them so most of these clothes are built for a more delicate wash. So if you want to make them last longer I suggest hand washing some of it (/◕ヮ◕)/. 

I really liked my experience and haul. I would say though that it's a place to get shoes more than clothes for me. The shoes are more reasonably priced and since the shipping is based on how much you spend rather than weight makes it an even better reason to shop there for them!  Another awesome thing is that they are always and constantly coming out with new items! They also come out with tons of sales hee hee ^ω^. Have to admit that I'm guilty of always checking them up to see what's new and totally obsessed with buying more shoes! 

Thanks for reading and till next time! 

Primark (Penneys) Haul

Hey everyone! Happy Spring! 

Today I want to share with you all my Primark haul. For those in the US Primark is a huge retailer in the UK that is similar to Forever 21 and H&M. Just recently (early March) I took a family trip to London, England, which was a lot of fun! Now London is pretty expensive considering that the Pound is much stronger than the US dollar (exchange rate at the time was about $1.68 to £1. Everything was almost twice as expensive in England compared to what we pay here, but despite that I still wanted to squeeze in some shopping! Hence while I was there I discovered Primark right on Oxford Street, near the Marble Arch subway station. This place was crazy, packed with people from locals to other tourists and just full of the latest fashions and all between £1-£15! I bought a lot of things, but only a few of them will I review here as most of it was lingerie XD. 

Bags! 

First thing up are the bags that I bought at Primark. 

First bag I got was this large black side bag. The material is pretty light, but quite durable and it can fit a lot inside! It's probably as large as a regular sized backpack. I like it since it's great for casual wear and traveling (can fit my DSLR in it <3 ). This was probably my most expensive buy too at £12.

Second bag I got is this vintage looking cutie here. I love this one. It seems small but can fit everything I need inside of it! It also looks like it's made with real leather, but it's synthetic. Also smells like leather too! Overall there was some super amazing quality that went into this bag for just £8.

Inside is nicely lined too. Love what I think is a 60's - 70s type pattern. 

Last bag is one of those recyclable/reusable bags for shopping. These were  £1.50 each and came in a variety of patterns. Of course they all had London related designs, which made them perfect for souvenirs for family and friends! My mother and I bought a couple of them, but this is the one I kept for myself. Yay for saving the environment and for cute shopping bags!

Clothes/Jammies/& Others!

I don't normally buy Pajamas or sleepwear often least not since I was in high school which was nearly 10 years ago! I normally just wear a lot of concert and other random shirts from conventions etc to sleep so when I was in Primark and saw all the cute stuff I just had to buy some new pajamas and some other random bits. 

Besides rabbit related things, I also love robots! I tend to collect things with robots on them too so the moment I saw these I just had to get them. These were £5.

I'm a fan of Winnie the Pooh. I grew up reading and watching the show as a kid and now I just like anything related to him and his pals in the Hundred Acre Wood. My favorite designs or illustrations of him are those done my E. H Shepard so this was another pair of bottoms that I had to buy! I also got a set of underwear to go with them hee hee. Bottoms were £7. 

My Little Pony! To be honest I'm not much of a MLP fan, but saw this more vintage design and liked it for it's cute factor. This is actually a sweater that was in the sleepwear section of the store, but it can just be worn as a sweater shirt too. Perfect for some Fairy Kei type coordinations and at £8!

Scottish Terriers! I got this since the pattern looks like my dog! Though mine is a Schnauzer, it was similar enough that I really wanted it! Also couldn't complain when it was just £3! Also I like having some normal t-shirts around for my lazy days. 

Jammie Set! This was actually my second time going to London and when I went the first time I bought a pair of Union Jack boxers. Well now I wanted another pair of boxer/sleepwear shorts and so I picked up this cute obviously so touristy jammie set. Together it costed me £5. 

Union Jack tank. Every girl needs one even if you don't even live in England haha. Also at just £3 so why not! 

Last, but not least are these pair of black bow heels! They're really low so they're more like flats. These were about £10. They're sort of big on me at a UK size of 4, which was the smallest they carried (so I'm more of 3, yea I have tiny feet).  With thick tights or socks they fit and since they're pretty low they aren't too hard to walk in. I just really wanted some nice low heeled shoes for certain occasions and while they're hard to see in the picture the bows on them are really cute! 

Overall Verdict 

Primark is a pretty awesome place. Relative to the prices in London, it was considerably cheap and reasonable. The quality was also really great as they're on par with stuff you find at Forever 21 and H&M. In other words you get what you sort of pay for though for me I was completely satisfied with what I found and bought. Primark is a great place though for basics or super casual wear like T-shirts, tanks, leggings, jeans, etc. I have read though that they have exclusive designs made for them though and they have a lot of licensed goods with Disney, MLP, and Marvel. So for those who are not in the UK and visit it one day I would highly recommend checking out a Primark! You'll spend hours in there shopping! 

Have you guys been to a Primark before? What are your favorite things from there? Feel free to comment and share! 

Thanks for reading everyone! Look out for more blogs in the future soon as I have a lot to share, upcoming hauls, Dolly related reviews and more! I promise to update and share more! 

Taobao WInter Haul 2013 - Part 2

Hey everyone! I finally have for you all part 2 of my Taobao 2013 Winter Haul. Sorry it took so long considering that Winter is almost over. In fact it's practically early summer for us here in Southern California. At least a majority of this review is focused on a much earlier Taobao haul for fake nails and some lingerie, which can be an all-year-round sort of thing! Onto the reviews!

Nail Green City 

I first placed this order way back in October. You can see my preview and all the pictures here in this post. This is more of a follow up as most of what I got was really accurate to what I saw in the pictures. The nails though are more made for smaller or child-like hands. I have really small hands so these fitted my nails much better than most other fake nails I get here in the US. I did have to file some of them to get them to fit perfectly, but it wasn't that bad of a process. Along with the nails I also got some nail stickers/glue. Since my agent, TaobaoTrends refused to purchase and ship me anything with liquid inside (based on rules set by Hong Kong Post), I got some of those two-sided nail tape to apply them on instead. Although oddly some of the nail sets came with small tubes of nail glue so the rules sort of baffles me at times especially since I can still buy nail glue from Hong Kong from Ebay.

Now the nail glue that was included in some of the sets weren't really that great. They didn't damage my nail, which was nice but my nails wouldn't stay on. The two-sided tape was a little better, but once I put on the nails I really couldn't do much with my hands or else they would fall off. Because of this I decided to use them for special occasions since I can't regularly wear them. One thing I did like a lot and will definitely buy more of are the nail wrap stickers. These lasted me more than a week wear and through Taobao were definitely much cheaper than through Ebay.

Saacheer

This is another lingerie shop like PinkyQueen. They actually have a lot of stuff that is the same as PinkyQueen, but a little cheaper with more variety in style, color, and for some sizes. Of course one of the plus things for shopping for lingerie on Taobao is that a lot of the bras come in sets as in a bra and panty! The only thing is that they only cater to those who are XS or S for panty (sizes are always one down ie on site says medium or free, but for US it's actually small) and have bra's with an under bust between 70cm-80cm. They also offer different cup sizes, but only from A-D. Also when buying bras from Taobao, get at least a cup up from your original. For example if you are an A get a B etc. Though in some cases depending on the style you can get your exact size, which you will see in this review on two of the bras I bought from the store.

I love this bra. It's quite comfortable and fits just right. The style is more American style as in it's similar to what we can find at Victoria Secrets. Also whatever your size is in the US for bras will have the same measurements for this one considering that most bras from Asia tend to be a size smaller than what we're used to. This also came with a panty, but it was in a small size. 

Didn't like this one very much since the straps were way too short/small for me. Luckily I had some extra bra straps from my tube style bras to use but was quite disappointed in just how small it was. I also had to take out the padding for it to fit me. I'm not exactly sure if a larger cup size would have been any better since I got it in my usual B cup rather than C. It was however, quite cheap for the set at around $5 and yes that includes bra and the panty. Overall this one was a lesson learned that for some styles I really should upgrade the cup size. 

D- Chuan

I absolutely love this store. Prices are crazy affordable and they update they're stuff quite frequently (every other week it seems). This is one of those wholesale/warehouse type stores for Korean fashion. You will see a lot of the same stuff everywhere on Taobao, but so far I think D-Chuan has the cheapest prices. The only thing is that everything is a Free size which in Asian terms means a Small. There are a few shirts and sweaters though that may fit those who are medium. They do at least provide measurements so for those who are not sure you can carefully check it out to see if it will fit. So far in my experience the shirts and sweaters should fit those who are a medium provided that the neck part is stretchy. There are some tops that I have gotten that do not have stretchy neck holes so even for me it was a challenge to get on despite that the rest of it was quite large on me. 

 This was a fleece sweater, which was quite a surprise since I expected it to be just a normal white sweater with the print. Super warm and I wear it sleep or at night. For wearing it outdoors I pair it with skinny jeans.

I haven't been able to really wear this one as I couldn't really tell if it was a dress or one of those long-shirt type of styles. The only description I got for it was that the pattern was an "English or Scottish" style. I saw some things that were similar around the site with an actual model or person wearing it and I believe it to be a dress. It's extremely well-made though and thick. It seems as though it's made with synthetic wool and lined with satin inside. Testing it out it was a little short on me so leggings is a must for it! This one was that type that didn't have a stretchy neck-hole. It also didn't even have any zippers to help put it on, just a pull it over type outfit. Luckily I have a small enough head to fit. 

Love this crop sweater! I wore it with a high waisted skirt and also with skinny jeans. The color is a more of a dark maroon rather than a red as in the pictures, which was cool with me as I love maroon! 

Also a more maroon in person with this skirt. The straps are removable and the material is velveteen. I haven't been able to wear this as it's a very winter/cold weather type of skirt and it's just been way too sunny and warm for me to wear. It would look better at night, but even our night here hasn't been that cold as it was in January. The waist part is also very stretchy, which is nice since it may fit someone who is a medium in size. 

Liuhaigang

I officially buy my tights now on Taobao as they have the right size for me in length. I also find that some tights in the US are quite expensive and most of them don't even fit me right anyways. Forever 21 probably has the cheapest with different styles and patterns, but they're way too long for me. Now this store has a variety of basic colors and styles that I look for. This was also the place where I got my "tattoo" tights with the rabbits on it back in my first Taobao Haul. 

These were normal colored tights. They were only like a $1.50 each so I bought a few of them such as both the pink shown in the picture and a white one.

They called this one the Babylon Autumn tights. I'm not even sure how to describe the design on them except that it's very elaborate. I got these in a dark pink. 

I needed another pair of black tights and decided to got for something a little different than the normal plain styled ones. So I got a pair of the ribbed styled tights. They were still thin as I didn't want anything too thick considering that it doesn't get that cold here in CA. 

I bought a few more too, but there were the Japanese imported ones that I first got in my very first Taobao Haul. Really great quality overall for all the tights I got. This store also sells more fancier and thicker tights though. There are some "European" styled brands that cost almost $10, but after researching found out they sometimes go for twice the amount. They are apparently considered the thicker kind of tights, best for colder areas etc. So far I'm happy with my $2-$5 tights! 

Well that is it for my Winter 2013 Haul! Now it's time to check out some things for Spring/Summer? Hee Hee. What can I say I'm getting addicted to Taobao haha. I just may try out a shoe order next time though. Anyways thanks for looking and happy shopping! :P

Taobao Winter 2013 Haul ~ Orange Bear, Nail Green City, Saacheer, Oh My! Part 1

I am horribly addicted to shopping on Taobao now. There is just way too many things to browse through and so many adds to my want list! This is my 5th Taobao order with a 6th one that I just placed about a week and a half ago. Anyhow this Winter review is actually a combination of a couple of my past orders that I didn't review yet including the nail preview that I posted in October. This will mainly focus on stores/brands that I found :).

Once again I used Taobaotrends as my agent. New thoughts and updates on them though.

1. Their photo sharing website YunPan is fickle. Some days it works for me and others it doesn't. They're still very accommodating in sending you the pictures as attachments though when asked.

2. My major issue now is that they refuse to purchase anything with "batteries" such as watches and certain liquids like nail glue as they claim that Hong Kong Post will not ship it. I did look up HKP's shipping restrictions and they do state those restrictions on their website, but what baffles me is that I can buy those items on Ebay and get them shipped to me using HKP without any problems. Also some of the fake nails I bought actually included nail glue! Overall confused about what is alright and not alright to ship through HKP.

3. Holiday season now! Communication seems to be a little lagging. Updates are taking longer than usual and also they sent my package without a notice or tracking like they usually do. However despite that they still did everything in a timely order. It's just them emailing the updates that are taking longer than non-Holiday times. So just a warning if you're looking into purchasing things from Taobao through an agent overall right now.


So my Winter Haul is actually my Christmas shopping that I ordered in early November and wanted to get before December actually hit. This one took about 3 weeks in total from ordering, paying, shipping (used EMS), and receiving it at my doorsteps. Since most of them are gifts I will not comment or post a few things. I will focus more on the shop itself and overall quality of my items.

Orange Bear

Orange Bear is a Taiwanese based brand. They also have an official contract with Disney to sell Disney clothing/fashion. A lot of them are really cute too! It's not as childish as the Disney stuff they sell here in the States. What I like about this brand is that they not only have really cute styles, but it's also really reasonable compared to other Taiwanese brands such as CatWorld, Tokyo Fashion, etc. They also have a lot of sales so you can find some really great deals. The quality for the most part have been really good too with some minor things which I will share with each item.

This is the very first item I got from OB and from Taobao. I really wanted a vintage and frilly style dress and I found this one on OB for sale. It was about $5 (Yup pretty good deal!). Material is chiffon and it's also a little thicker than I originally though it would be. My only issue is the lace collar. It's a little off right in the middle near the first button, but with a sweater over it you can't tell that the craftsmanship is a bit off. Overall I like it, but it is a little short so I either have to wear pants, leggings, or shorts under it. 

Grey one is cute too! 

Animal inspired sweaters/jackets must be in in Asia this year. I already got a plush sweater with sheep ears, but really wanted another style too. Have to admit I got really excited once I saw this leopard inspired one on OB's site. I got a little worried that they would have sold out before I was able to make my order, but I got lucky and was able to get one! As you can see I got the white version as it was the only one left with a small/medium size. Verdict: BEST PURCHASE EVER. It is exactly like the photos, super soft. and warm. Just perfect for the winter!

I love sweater shirts/dresses. In the stock pictures it looked like a sweater dress, but it became a sweater shirt on me.  It could just be the size, but I'm already a small and quite short so either the model is even shorter than me or I needed to have gotten a different size. I like it anyways and the synthetic wool isn't itchy like some other wool type sweaters I've gotten on Taobao.

Pink Chiffon shirt. Got this on sale in their Summer clearance section. It is very soft, light, and airy which makes it perfect for warmer weather.

Burgundy was my first choice, but they sold out on it :(

Legging pants are another big thing in Asia. I kind of like them as they're just like normal pants except that they don't have any zippers. They're my lazy pants since all I have to do is pull them up! I got these in a dark grey/blue since the one color I wanted was sold out, but I really wanted to try them out. The quality of OB's legging pants are on par with any normal pair of pants and jeans so they're not just colored leggings. I got them in small which can fit those who are between sizes 0-2 depending on how tight you want them. I'm an in between 0-1 so they fit, but they're not too tight or tight looking on me. They're extremely high wasted though so they're best paired with long shirts and sweaters. The best thing about OB's legging pants is that they have real pockets!


Overall Verdict:
I really like OB. They're a little like shopping at Forever 21, but with some things slightly cheaper than them (Pants & Jackets have great deals/prices). The daily and special sales they have are awesome and you can find a lot if you're into Asian fashion or certain casual wear. Another thing that is great is that they also cater to a wide range of sizes, which means they also have plus sizes! Unfortunately the larger the size the more expensive the clothing gets, but it is really great to know that there are some asian brands that do and cater to curvier girls too :). They also have a handy size chart on each of their sale's page and I have found it to be pretty accurate so far. Also the quality has been much better than I originally expected. Nothing that I have bought so far looks like it'll fall apart anytime soon. The only thing is that I have to hand/line dry most of them which is common for things bought from Asia since they don't really use or have drier machines. So just beware if you dry them using a machine as it may shrink the clothing!


So that's it for Part 1 of my winter haul ^_^.  I wanted to focus on Orange bear first since I've been wanting to do a review on them for a little bit. Look out for part 2 soon with reviews on some tights, accessories and lingerie (hee hee)! Thanks for reading!