Jill Stuart Dreamy Garden Case ♥

Been waiting for this baby to arrive, and boy was I surprised when I saw the size of the package! Any guesses as to what I was waiting for...?

Yes, it's Jill Stuart again! Yet another item from the Dreamy Garden collection ♥

I really just can't get enough of the pretty bird/flower design!

What's in the package? Tada it's a cosmetic case~

It's actually a GWP with I-don't-know-how-much amount spent in Taiwan, but obviously since I'm not in Taiwan I had to purchase this online. Got it for S$25, which is not a bad price as it's really a very well-made case, which turned out a lot better than I expected it to be!

The case is larger than I thought it would be, measuring roughly 16cm x 17cm x 19cm.

For reference the case that came with the JS 2009 mook was 12cm x 18cm x 9cm.

The Dreamy Garden case is very hard and sturdy, extremely solid and will definitely maintain its boxy shape. The outer material is I think synthetic leather and it's waterproof. The case is well-stitched, material feels great (ie not cheap or flimsy) and I just think it's a really pretty case~♥

And the Jill Stuart packaging we all know and love wouldn't be the Jill Stuart we all know and love if it didn't have rhinestones~ I was really pleasantly surprised to find rhinestones on the zippers!

No compartments, no mirror, it's just a simple boxy case.

The inside is lined with thick black satin.

There's a ribbon connecting the top and body to prevent the top from flopping backwards.

My Dreamy Garden family ♥ Get a feel of the depth and size of the case?

I'm really very happy with this case, it's now the new pride and joy of my very cluttered and full dressing table~♥ If you're loving the Dreamy Garden collection print like I am obsessed with do, check out my reviews and swatches of the Dreamy Garden Jewel Crystal Eyes palettes and Petite Jelly Lip Gloss Trio~

My Camera ♥

I get a lot of emails asking about my camera and how I did it, so tada, here it is! I bling-ed my camera the moment I bought it, so it's been almost a year, but the crystals have been very durable, with amazing lasting power ♥

This is how my camera looks like now, no points for guessing why I got this model: the FRONT SCREEN~♥! Perfect for selcas! Well, actually more of a convenience since practice has made me adept at taking with normal cameras as well^^ But fun to play with since you actually know how the photo'll turn out like. Also, for timed shots it'll show a 3-2-1 countdown.

My room has fluorescent lighting, so you can't really see the sparkles. But under sunlight and yellow lights, especially at night, this really sparkles like jewels! Always fascinates me even till now. *attracted to shiny things*
This was a reflection on the inside of a bus in Rome...it was summer and the sun was shining intensely everywhere, so I took out my camera and it reflected all these pretty colors onto the wall ♥
My camera's model is Samsung PL 150 in red. Without the bling, it actually looked like this. (Picture from Google as I never actually bothered to take a picture of my camera before I bling-ed it!) The very day I got it, I started bling-ing it as I was leaving for Europe for a 3week trip a couple of days after, and really wanted to bring my bling-ed up baby.

As mentioned earlier, I got my camera in June 2010. I bling-ed it right after I got it, so these pictures were all from last year, taken with my phone.

Planning the design by placing crystals on the camera's surface. In total I used over 1,000 Swarovski crystals. Bought them from Arab Street, they came in packets of 144, and I used up 7 packets and a bit. Blue Zircon (turquoise) and Silk (off-white) were the main colors I used, but I also used Chrysolite (light green) and Light Sapphire AB. As for sizes, I used ss7, ss8 and ss10, if I recall correctly.

At first, I wanted to bling it up in pink, but almost everyone who blings their stuff has pink bling, so I decided to go for turquoise. I'd like to try violet next! I still want pink though! But I need more ornaments. Haven't actually been able to find any decent ones in Singapore. The ones I used for my camera were plucked/plier-ed off from jewellery.

Used tweezers to place every crystal on, one by one.

Almost completed the layer of crystals, just need to finish the lens.

Added some "ornaments" like hearts and flowers.

Side view. I covered all the black parts at the side (refer to un-bling-ed picture)

It's not flat, but actually slightly curved, so I used Silk in varying sizes.

Completed! Added "ornaments" of 4 flowers and 2 hearts, which actually came from old jewellery. I really liked the pearl heart on the top...but a few days after completing this I lost it somewhere on the streets of Rome... :(

How it looks like now!

This is how it looks like now, 11 months later and after much abuse^^ Other than the top heart, none of the other ornaments fell off. Crystals mostly came off from around the lens, but other than that the rest are pretty much the way they were 11 months ago. I've never had to touch up, though I guess I should around the lens^^

I used GS Hypo Cement glue, which has a needle-thin applicator that makes it sooo convenient for dealing with crystals ♥ And I have to say that it's really lasting! 11 months of not-very-gentle treatment and hardly any crystals fell off. And the crystals actually protected my camera from scratches as well.

Bling-ing things is so much fun, but crystals can be expensive. In total mine cost ~SGD$55(~USD$44), for 8 packets and glue. I suppose you'd use up less crystals if you use larger sizes, but larger sizes cost more per packet. You'd use up more packets if you use smaller sizes, but smaller sizes cost less per packet. So I guess it balances out? I like the end product of using smaller crystals because 1)it looks more intricate and detailed, hence you can design more, 2)it looks like it requires more effort than large crystals, and 3)the sparkling effect is more amped up with more crystals!

EyeLabo and Luminous Change

Can you tell that I've currently been obsessed with false lashes? For the past few days, I have been heavily looking up lashes of all sorts, in preparation for my short trip to Tokyo♥ *happy*

While looking through the latest editions of Egg and Edge Style, I "discovered" two new brands of lashes, Eyelash Laboratory (EyeLabo) and Luminous Change. Since there were ads for them in the magazines, I'd assume that they're fairly new or recently released. EyeLabo seems quite promising! ♥

But first off, Luminous Change. This is produced by Itabashi Rumi (板橋瑠美). She used to be a model for Egg, but now models for Edge Style. (Somehow I think the brand name is a pun on her name Rumi: Rumi-nous Change heehee, as they don't differentiate the "L" and "R" in Japanese^^)

I have yet to see these in person, but looking at the pictures, they seem a tad mehh for me due the the lack of clear lash bands for some and common designs. Nowadays, one of the prerequisites for me to buy a lash is that it has to have a clear lash band *sheepish face* Anyway, there are 9 variations, and they retail for 1,155yen for 5 pairs. They're slightly more expensive than Diamond Lash, but the styles do not seem very unique, so yeah, reconsidering these! The packaging is nice though!

**edit** I've done a more in-depth introduction with descriptions of each type HERE~

Next, a brand called "Eyelash Laboratory" (EyeLabo). They kind of remind me Diamond Lash! For a relatively new brand they already have a whopping 24 different styles! Some seem unique/different, some seem blah/common, but out of the 24 there must be at least a couple that're worth trying out right? ♥

They're designed/modelled by a trio of Popteen models: Shiine Hikari, Kawanishi Miki and Akiyama Miku. They retail for 1,050yen for 5 pairs, as economical as Diamond Lash. The 24 lashes are divided into 5 series: Cute Princess, Natural Angel, Sweet Fairy, Sexy Doll and Rich Venus.

CUTE PRINCESS (キュートプリンセス)

Cute Princess is the largest line, with 9 different types: 4 upper lashes, 3 lower lashes and 2 partial lower lashes. The style for this line is girly/princessy; the lashes are mostly of the spiked variety.

キュートプリンセス 001Cute Princess 001, upper lash

I don't know why, but I'm always drawn to lashes with spikes like these~

キュートプリンセス 002Cute Princess 002, upper lash

This seems to be a fairly common design;

Diamond Lash Beauty Eye, Dolly Wink #1, Toujours 003, Preciosa BK-316, etc.

But guess a lot of people like this kind of design, so they made it.

キュートプリンセス 003Cute Princess 003, upper lash

This looks similar to 002, except that it has thicker inner bunches.

Compared to Diamond Lash, in the picture these look lighter/more feathery?

Not as thick/dense/shiny as Beauty Eye, giving a "softer" look.

It also looks to be shorter in terms of length of lash band.

キュートプリンセス 004Cute Princess 004, upper lash

Four blings on each lash, but the lashes themselves aren't spectacular.

キュートプリンセス 005Cute Princess 005, lower lash

These look cute, and I'd get them for the bling too ^^

キュートプリンセス 006Cute Princess 006, lower lash

These look like 005 without the bling^^

Might as well get the one with the bling, and if you don't want the bling, pluck it off?

They cost the same anyway!

キュートプリンセス 007Cute Princess 007, lower lash

Looks like a shorter version of Dolly Wink No. 5 Real Nude.

Could be an economical alternative?

キュートプリンセス 008Cute Princess 008, partial lash for bottom

Looks like the inner corners of Dolly Wink #1 which I cut and use as lower lashes^^

Not very worth it I think.

キュートプリンセス 009Cute Princess 009, partial lash for bottomLooks like 008 without the outer-most clump. Even more un-economical!
I sort of feel that 008 and 009 are ripoffs, a box of a few strands going for the same price as a box of whole strips of lashes? And I can make these by cutting the inner corners of Dolly Wink No.1 or something similar...

NATURAL ANGEL (ナチュラルエンジェル)

This line consists of more "natural" looking types of lashes. There are 3 variations - 2 upper and 1 lower. The lashes in this line look to be of thinner strands, lesser spaces between strands but not extremely dense, and no "spikes" unlike the Cute Princess line.
ナチュラルエンジェル 001Natural Angel 001, upper lash

The lack of spikes and thin-ness of the strands make them look weird to me!

Not my style I guess.

ナチュラルエンジェル 002Natural Angel 002, upper lash

Same comment at 001, to thin, not my type^^

ナチュラルエンジェル 003Natural Angel 003, lower lash

I love lower lashes like these! And since these are 5 in a box, I might get a few ^^

The upper lashes look pretty too! (Sexy Doll 002)

SWEET FAIRY (スートフェアリー)

This line consists of 5 types of lashes. The "look" I think, is supposed to be somewhat natural but with a bit more volume, as compared to the Natural Angel line.

スートフェアリー 001Sweet Fairy 001, upper lash

A fusion lash, but the transition seems kind of sudden?

スートフェアリー 002Sweet Fairy 002, upper lash

I like the look of this, might try it out~

Looks natural (not very dense/voluminous) but long and thick enough for me

スートフェアリー 003Sweet Fairy 003, upper lash

Another upper lash, a bit reminiscent of Diamond Lash Girly Eye but less dense?

It looks shorter than most lashes, but seems quite natural~ Seems wearable to work.

スートフェアリー 004Sweet Fairy 004, partial lash for top

Something different?

スートフェアリー 005Sweet Fairy 005, partial lash for bottom

These look very thin^^ Can hardly see them in the picture...

SEXY DOLL (セクシードール)

This line has 5 types - 2 upper, and 3 lower. 004 and 005 are pre-cut, ie not one whole strip, which makes it convenient for me, saving me the trouble of cutting it up on my own^^

セクシードール 001Sexy Doll 001, upper lash

Fusion lash with spikey inner ends and dense outer ends.

セクシードール 002Sexy Doll 002, upper lash

These are the upper lashes used in the Natural Angel 003 picture earlier.

Not spikes, but the space between the bunches make them look nice IMO.

I really think they look pretty~ I'm going to hunt for these!

セクシードール 003Sexy Doll 003, lower lash

The gaps between the bunches seem odd to me^^

Each clump and space is the same width, a tad unnatural?

Or maybe they just seem too long for the model's eye?

セクシードール 004Sexy Doll 004, lower lash, pre-cut

セクシードール 005Sexy Doll 005, lower lash, pre-cut

How the width of each bunch seems the same kind of makes it look odd?

Rich Venus (リッチヴィーナス)

This line consists of 2 types, both super dense with thick strands and non-clear lash bands. These seem really dramatic, not my thing^^
リッチヴィーナス 001Rich Venus 001, upper lash

リッチヴィーナス 002Rich Venus 002, upper lashThese look super thick, and somewhat similar to some Model 21 lashes I have? Model 21 is really cheap and comes with 10 pairs so I guess that'd be more economical.

Overall, EyeLabo's lashes seem rather promising, I'll be sure to check them out and get a few! ♥ Currently I can't say anything about the quality or material of the lashes, as I've yet to try them. On my current to-try list are Natural Angel 003, Sexy Doll 002, Cute Princess 005, Sweet Fairy 003 and Sweet Fairy 002 ♥ There are sooo many types~ In Japan, currently they're being sold in Donki, the Popteen online store and online on the EyeLabo website.

The Power of False Lashes

You oft hear of people getting captivated by the eyes, mesmerized by the eyes, dazzled, hypnotized etc. The power of the eyes is not something to be taken lightly! What do you think is something every gyaru must have? Karakon? (colored contacts) The hair? Fancy nails? Big eyes? Contoured nose? ...the answer is tsukema, false lashes!

Yunkoro, see the difference between the before and after? Look at the left. She may have light beige hair, even the contacts, blush, nude lips, contoured nose...but yet something's missing. She puts on a pair of Jewerich and voila, lo and behold, see the great difference a pair of lashes can make towards the look?

False lashes are something gyarus can't be without; just look at all the magazines, gyarus on the street, TV programs, everyone agrees that tsukema (つけま, false lashes) are a must have~ Even if you don't like doing the bottom lashes, you must at least have the top lashes.

A picture of Hikari from an older issue of Popteen.

Closeup on her eyes, see the difference?

So I just wanna share with ya'll and let ya'll see just how great a difference false lashes can make to your eyes ♥ The following pictures were all from various issues of Popteen, PopSister, Egg and Edge Style. I used a camera to photograph the pages, so they're definitely not scan quality^^ Hopefully they're clear enough though! You can click to enlarge~

Aoki Eri from an issue of PopSister. (She looks like she has really good skin!)

Ignoring the brows and rest of the face, this is closing up on the eyes.

Again, see the difference the lashes make?

Sure, to increase their 目力 (eye power) lots of gyaru wear colored contacts, which "enlarge" the eyes, but without the lashes, it might just look alien-ish (especially all black/dark ones). Eyeliner? It sure defines the eyes, but with it alone you'll still think that something's missing. Double eyelid tape/glue? It does make the eyes bigger, but something will still be lacking.

You don't even need eyeliner or heavy eye makeup, just falsies will really give power you your eyes~ (: (Rumi from Edge Style) I think her eye/lashes she uses look reeeeally pretty here (:

But even if you add eyeliner, just eyeliner alone isn't enough, lashes really do open up and enlarge your eyes~ (Mariko from Edge Style) Even with not very obvious or "enlarging" contacts, the lashes make a difference to the eyes, no?

Really, doesn't it seem that false lashes make the eyes look bigger~

Even Popteen's princess Kumikki's eye power is somewhat lacking without the lashes.

Add some and voila! Behold, the difference~

Lashes with tightlined eyeliner. (Ami from PopSister)

No matter how big your karakons are, without false lashes something's still missing, no? Even with the double eyelid tape/glue, without false lashes something's just not right, no~? (Popteen)

The lashes don't even have to be super volumizing to make a difference, just compare the first and second pics, even more "natural" lashes add power~

Egg magazine had a sagi (con/cheat) contest, and pictured winners. It's actually a whole face thing, but I don't see that much of a difference in their skin texture^^ I just wanted to highlight the main difference, which I perceive to be the eyes~ (This girl won 2nd place)

Even with the hair, in the before picture this girl didn't look very gyaru^^ (7th place)

Neither did this girl. But just making up the eyes alone really changes that~ (4th place)

Mizukitty from Popteen.

See the difference between the before and after eyes?

Mmm, so there you have it, false lashes are an amazing tool~ The main point of this was to show just what a difference false lashes can make! ♥ Especially for the gyaru look. I guess some people just aren't into them, but I really love false lashes, it's something I really must have (: If I'm running late or have no time for makeup, I'd at least need to stick on some lashes. Never mind the eyeliner or even foundation (sunblock is essential though!)

I do think false lashes are waaayy better than mascara, which looks spidery when they clump together. And mascara can't give the volume, length, thickness, density and curl that false lashes can. And whatever little they give is not enough for my short, sparse, stumpy Asian lashes^^ So ever since I started using false lashes I've never bought mascara again^^

No matter how many times it's been, I'm always very amazed when I see before and after pictures of false lashes! I know for lots of the pictures above they feature the whole face, but try to ignore the rest and just focus on the eyes, I really do think the greatest difference lies there!