Adorable One Piece chibi-arts ♥

To be honest, other than Chopper, the rest of the One Piece characters aren't very "cute". But chibi-fy them and they become the most adorable things ever! Making something chibi is like rearranging their proportions to give an over-sized head and tiny limbs in proportion to the body.

If you didn't already know, One Piece is a hugely popular manga in Japan, it's been running for ~15 years now. The currently airing anime has over 500 episodes, 10 movies and has been on air for over a decade as well. One Piece is also the series where Chopper comes from! Anyway, it's about pirates travelling the oceans and the adventures they have. The variety of characters is awesome, and the storyline is interesting, amusing and has direction.

So there's a line of figures called chibi-arts, and they make One Piece characters. So far only 3 have been released, but at a recent convention they showcased prototypes of possible future releases. Super cute~!!

Perona and Zoro!

Two of my three favorite One Piece characters (the other is Chopper~)

Perona is slated for release in March 2012, Zoro is a prototype.

Close up of Zoro, holding a barbequed fish and a mug of beer.

Chibi-arts figures usually come with extra facial expressions and extra arms in different poses, but since this is still a prototype, not sure what the other arms will be holding. But at least one should have swords for sure!

Vivi, Nami, Sanji and Nico Robin.

Other than Nami, the rest are prototypes!

(Nami came out in Oct 2011)

Close-up of Vivi.

Close-up of Sanji, holding a cake with Nami's head :P

Close-up of Nico Robin

Another favorite character of mine, Chopper!

A prototype, looking adorable with the mushroom.

Close-up of Chopper.

The above pictures were taken during the Tamashii Nation 2011 event, where Tamashii Nation, the company (under Bandai, remember, almost all toys are made by Bandai!) that produces the toys, showcased future products. Photography was not allowed for the public, these pictures came from HobbyStock.

Anyway, onto the chibi-arts that have been released (and I got my hands on)! Nami, Luffy and Boa Hancock. (Ace comes out in Dec 2011 btw!)

First out was Boa Hancock in July 2011.

Then came Luffy in Aug 2011.

I should've given him a more greedy-looking pose by using the inflated stomach body :P

Nami came out end-Oct 2011.

As mentioned, they come with interchangeable faces, limbs, bodies and for Boa Hancock's case, interchangeable hair and legs as well. The limbs are rotatable, and a stand to prop up the figure comes along with the kit.

The "Looking down so much that she's looking up instead" pose. They even include a bunch of quotes in speech/effect bubbles that you can put on a stand and display together with the figure :D

I'm adoring their cuteness and can't wait for the rest to come get released! Hopefully they do get released and not remain as prototypes, and hopefully they get released regularly, and not like one every 2-3 months -.-

On another note, I've ordered a bunch of brushes from Sigma Beauty! Hoping they'll come soon, they've been shipped out! However my card was charged twice (no I did not click multiple times, the charges were 20min apart, their site was having huge traffic that day and oft crashed) and CS has been taking really long to reply...I just hope I can get my money back! :(

LE Dolly Wink Mascara & Liquid Eyeliner Sets and Candy Doll in Singapore

3 little goodies I picked up recently, look what finally became available in Singapore? Tsubasa'a Candy Doll line and the 3rd round of Limited Edition Dolly Wink items, the Mascara + Eyeliner Sets~♡

AFA 2011 - One Piece Galore ☆

A long overdue post! Part 1 (overview) here and part 2 (cosplay) here.

Huuuuge Chopper figure!

Sadly it wasn't for sale.

But even if it were I wouldn't buy it cos it's neither soft nor cuddly!

Mini models of the ships Thousand Sunny and Going Merry!

Dolly Wink F/W 2011 - Lashes and Brows! ♡

After months of waiting, it's finally out! ♡ The new Dolly Wink products finally went on sale today~ The packaging is less "cutesy" than the previous items, as it's supposed to be part of the grown-up/adult line. But it's still very lovely and the flowers add a girly feminine touch~! ♡ The key points for this lineup are the introduction of the eyebrow products and 2nd series of Dolly Wink lashes.

6 new lashes - 1,260yen each ♡

The top 3 are upper lashes, the bottom 3 are lower lashes. As with previous lashes in the Dolly Wink line, the lashes come in 2 pairs per pack, and retail for 1,260yen per pack. The lower lashes look good!

I have to say that for this lineup, the lashes are really leaning towards the natural side, when you compare them with the 1st series of Dolly Wink lashes. That's not a bad thing, but with so many "natural" lashes out there, I'm not really digging these...However I haven't seen the actual products yet so I'll reserve my full judgement for when I've seen them! And, this line is supposed to be more "grown-up/adult", so the products are less gyaru and more neutral/everyday look-ish (especially noticeable in the lash designs!)

Right now, one of the reasons I like Dolly Wink lashes is that the lash strands are soft and fluttery, unlike the plasticky feel most lashes in the market have. And being handmade, the ends of every strand are thin/tapered while the base is thick. Though design-wise and overall product, Diamond Lash is still my number one choice ♡

Onto the products! I've roughly translated the descriptions for the various products~ ♡

No. 9 - ナチュラルドリー (Natural Dolly)

Natural with a fluttery feel.

Giving the look of soft and gentle eyes, these lashes are natural and look like your own.

Tsubasa suggests pairing it with No. 12.

Has a transparent lash band.

I have to admit, these look really natural, actually the kind of "natural" I like, and not the so-called "natural" that a lot of lashes have claimed to be but don't really cut it for me! I think it's cos of the criss-cross design and lashes on non-uniform thickness/length? *loves* :D

No. 10 - スウィートキャット (Sweet Cat)

These lashes emphasize the feathery ends to give a bright cat's eye.

The lash has a design which can be used for everyday looks and for parties.

Tsubasa recommends using it with No. 13.

Lash band is black, not transparent.

To be honest, I don't like this type of lashes/look, not my kind of thing. A lot of "natural" lashes end up giving looks like this, but it's not my kind of natural as the strands are too parallel, thin and close together :/ Though some ladies out there may like this look.

No. 11 - ピュアスウィート (Pure Sweet)

With the darker center strands, this pair of lashes with give you perfect round eyes.

These lashes will look natural with any type of make-up.

Tsubasa suggests using this with No. 14.

Has a transparent lash band.

Too short for my liking, especially the outer ends...I really prefer longer outer ends and shorter inner ends. And this is too thin and parallel for my liking^^ Doesn't appear very natural to me!

No. 12 - フェミニンガール (Feminine Girl)

Giving soft volume, these lashes will make it look as if it's just mascara.

These lower lashes will effectively help you achieve tare-me (droopy eyes).

Tsubasa recommends pairing this with No. 9.

Has a transparent lash band.

No. 13 - ベイビーガール (Baby Girl)

With darker strands in the center, even without eyeliner these lashes will give you doll-like bright eyes.

Tsubasa suggests using these together with No. 10.

Has a transparent lash band.

I'm liking these; I like lower lashes that have gaps in between bunches, and these look like they aren't too long or too short :D And the bunches kind of spread/fan out instead of being straight, so plus points from me for that! Will definitely be getting these!

No. 14 - ナチュラルキュート (Natural Cute)

For a natural tare-me (droopy eyes).

Gives a natural and gentle impression.

Tsubasa recommends wearing these with No. 11.

Has a transparent lash band.

Hmmm, the inner half looks really similar to the inner half of No. 5 Real Nude from the 1st series, and I'm not liking the outer half...I do like No. 5 Real Nude though!

Eyelash case - 420yen

New eyelash case in purple!

Instead of polka dots, this has super cute little motifs like a carousel, mascara, a clutch.

Though I have so many lash cases, I feel like getting this! ♡

Eyebrow powder - 1,260yen each

In vivid colors, each palette has 2 colors to make a more natural finish.

Comes in 3 shades:

No.1 - ハニーブラウン (Honey Brown)

A honey brown that's a good match for people with lighter hair.

Brighten your facial expressions with matching brows.

No.2 - チョコブラウン (Choco Brown)

A choco brown that can easily match any hair color.

The two colors in the palette will help make 3-dimensional brows.

No.3 - ダークショコラ (Dark Chocolat)

Perfect for achieving adult-cute brows.

Make impressive brows with the 2 distinct colors.

Eyebrow mascara - 1,050yen each

Claims to be sweat and water-resistant, but will easily come off with warm water.

A film type brow mascara that comes in 3 shades:

No.1 - ミルクティー (Milk Tea)

A great match for blonde to yellow hair.

Will give brows a bright and impressive finish.

No.2 - モカ (Mocha)

Best for people with light brown to ash-colored hair.

The natural, warm colors on the brows will make your face cuter.

No.3 - ココア (Cocoa)

Good for those with brown to black hair.

Easily matches your real eyebrows for a beautiful and natural finish.

Eyebrow pencil - 735yen each

Soft tip, so that you can draw natural brows.

Comes in 3 shades:

No.1 - ハニーブラウン (Honey Brown)

A honey brown perfect for matching light-colored hair.

Naturally makes impressive brows.

No.2 - チョコブラウン (Choco Brown)

A soft and natural choco brown.

Good for pairing with a chic hair color!

No.3 - ダークショコラ (Dark Chocolat)

A dark brown that can easily match your own brows.

As the color is rich, lightly drawing lines will do.

Eyelash fix - 945yen each

New lash glues! Loving the tube colors/design :D

The pink on is standard, dries clear.

The black one dries black.

Can't wait to get my hands on these, though I bet it'll be a looong time before they start selling these here. Will definitely need to get a good look at the lashes before deciding on which ones to get, but will definitely try No. 9, No. 13 and a couple of the brow products! ♡

Wigs ☆

Up until a few years ago, I though that wigs/hair pieces were just for cosplayers, balding people or Halloween/stage costumes. Any normal person wouldn't have the need to get one. But now, with the advent of technology to produce more realistic-looking strands of hair, you'll realize that wigs are great if you want to change your hairstyle for a day, or if you want to see what you'd look like with a certain length/color/style of hair~ ☆ People love variety!

I've gotten a couple of wigs quite a while ago, but rarely do I use them or actually go out in them. While they do look nice, (loads better than my real hair!), they're a tad troublesome to put on and maintenance is cumbersome^^ Even more so as the ones I've got are long wigs! Perhaps short wigs are more convenient, but I wouldn't know that yet!

Long, curly, blonde full wig.

I love the curls, I often wish my own hair could be curly!

The wig itself.

Back view.

Flat on the bed.

Long, straight, blonde full wig.

Same color as the curly one.

The fringe was a tad too long, so I trimmed it...

With Chopper!

I really like this wig ♡

It's really veeeery long.

The cumbersome thing is that going out, when the wind blows the long strands can get tangled.

Things like rings can get caught when you try to tuck hair behind your ear etc.

Hence, when storing wigs it's wise to wrap them in a net to prevent tangling. But things can still catch onto the net, so it would be wise to put it in a bag/plastic to further protect it.

Long, straight, ash-brown full wig.

Same as the blonde one earlier but in a different color.

I really love the color of this! ♡

And I really love this wig as well.

The back view. It's really long, almost butt-length.

Love the streaks on the side~ ♡

The wig itself.

Straight, reddish-brown ponytail wig.

You tie your real hair into a ponytail, then wrap/tie the wig around it.

The wig should cover your real ponytail, which is hidden under/inside.

Curly, red-brown ponytail wig.

Same color as the straight ponytail wig earlier.

This is a half-wig.

It starts from the middle of the top of your head and doesn't have a fringe.

The texture of the hair strands is really fake-looking...

Plus this doesn't match my hair color.

So, I have no idea how to use this as it's weird :/

Semi-long, red-toned brown, curly half-wig.

Reddish-brown, straight, fringe wig.

Bun wig.

Close up of the bun wig.

All the various wiggy stuff I have.

Other than the full wigs, the rest are from Gmarket.

And I have to say that the quality of the Gmarket ones are not good.

I would not recommend them.

Also, the color variety is limited, mostly black or dark reddish-brown.

You should use a wig brush to brush your wigs, as plastic bristles can cause static and may end up making the strands tangled and messier. Wig brushed have metal bristles to prevent static. Do not use on real hair as you might end up scraping your scalp with the sharp metal bristles!

Wearing a wig cap under your wig can help make a better fit, so that your real hair doesn't get in the way of donning the wig. It also helps to "flatten" your real hair so that the lump under the wig won't be so large and noticeable, especially for people with long, thick hair ^^

The blue thing is a wig stand. I use it while combing the wig so that there's a "head shape" under the hair...I can't actually leave any of my wigs on them as they're tooooo long!

Wigs are great if you want to change your hairstyle for a day, or if you want to see what you'd look like with a certain length/color/style of hair~ ☆ But for me, because my real hair is long and rather thick, donning wigs heats up my scalp as having all that real hair sucked under the wig traps a lot of hot air, and I can't bear it for too long in Singapore's horribly hot and humid weather^^ But I have worn them during spring in Japan, and thanks to the weather the experience was a lot more bearable :D