Lolita Meet And NEO Cosplay Idol

At Seven O'Clock one evening this month I got a call from NEO magazine - it was regarding the photo that they had taken for free and that I entered into their competition. This was a while ago at MCM Expo at the end of October so I had almost put the thought of winning from my mind, however when she asked if I was the one cosplaying Seth Nightroad (Trinity Blood) and announced that I had won the overall star prize I was so happy! I always am a Runner Up or Finalist but have never actually WON anything! Now though, I get a feature in NEO Magazine, a laptop, goody bag, and a feature in their calendar! It was fun answering the interview questions and I can't wait for the prizes to arrive - I love free things! Most of all I have... honour and pride!

Here is the winning photo. It was in the post about the 20th MCM Expo a while back.

Next to talk about is the fact that I went on my first ever Lolita meet on Saturday 10th December 2011. Nazia (2nd in The Kawaii Star Of The Year 2011) and her friend Sam organised it and what an event it was! The venue was Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park which had a circus, ice rink, mini amusement park, market and seasonal foods and drinks. I'd never been before.

I enjoyed getting ready and even used false eyelashes. I accessorised and used the new JSK, socks and bow I got from Bodyline.

My friend Jess and I (both wearing the same print in different colours - what are the chances XD) travelled to Waterloo where we met up with Scarlett and Liz. A group of Lolitas felt a lot safer :) The journey there went quickly and we met with more Lolitas (and Lolitas in spirit) at Hyde Park corner. Nazia had made cupcakes for everyone and also there were goody bags with a thank you note, sweets and a Christmas Cracker for every atendee!

There were so many people >_< I suppose as there are not many festivals in England when an event like this pops up, the public flock to it like bees to honey. We eventually got in and bustled through the market, trying to stay together before stopping at a delightful German Pub with a great view of the ice rink where we met... more Lolis. Coming downstairs was hilarious - tramping down a spiral staircase with everyone in their finery got us a little attention. With warm food a beverages bought, a scavenger hunt started! Well, it was more of a quiz, but my team (TEAM D!) consisted of 5 awesome people and we were raring to go! We raced off (kinda as it was too crowded to do anything more than scamper) into the night (it was still afternoon but it was dark and I am trying to be dramatic!) 

Because of the crowd influx we weren't allowed into the market and were told we had to leave the event then come back in. Therefore we headed for the rides. After answering all of the questions but two, our team split - half jumping over the fence to casually go into the market, half look like we were headed out. Unfortunately, security realised that some of us had jumped the barrier (in a Lolita dress that is harder than it looks!) and warned the rest of us. When I pointed out that we hadn't done anything, he grunted and strode off. We reconveened and had a good laugh about it later. I also noticed there was blood on the answer shhet; I had somehow cut my hand XD We were first back and showed how much blood sweat and tears (quite literally) went into our quest. One lady even asked us where we got the quiz form from thinking it was an official activity :D

Not only did we get the prize for being first back, but we also won! (I think only one other group came back, but it's about the principal!) We each got a prize - the others got sweets and a fluffy phone charm but somehow I got a tube of pink smarties, a heart shaped biscuit clip accessory and a dounut phone charm which looked so cute and as if they had been hand made. It was then late and quite cold so after a few photos we went our separate ways.

The journey back was pretty eventful - there was some sort of coffee shrine where people had placed their empty cups, and there were LOADS of them. Jess added hers to the homage and I decided to give it a little worship. At Waterloo someone shouted "It's the Amish!" at us XD (previously some man had asked us if we were elves and said that "We're not in Japan so why where its fashions?" Jess came back with "You'll be an asshole whatever country you're in". Swish swish, touche. Compared to that, the Amish comment was hilarious especially as Jess was holding her camera.) The only other niggling things that happened were my fingers froze as I didn't have gloves but the rest of my was toasty thanks to my high body temperature, and that because it was Winter and cold, the pretty clothes were covered up by layers so you couldn't appreciate them fully.

It's usually always immature men and teenage girls who are snooty about Lolita fashion - women and older women seem to love it and we got compliments from one of the tickect sellers to a random lady with her daughter. I felt pretty cool in my clothes and happy I had the courage to be a little different in public. :D

The Kawaii Crew (L-R) - Me, Scarlett And Nazia. Don't I have white teeth in the first one? XD

Bodyline Package Has Arrived!

Hello there (^_^)/
It's been a looooong time since my last post T_T Hopefully I can make up for it now :D

Today two packages arrived in the post. Postmark; Narita. I wonder what they could be....

Many Lolitas turn their noses up at Bodyline but I just love it! I've never had a bad product from them, they have become so much better in recent years and are continuing to be an awesome store and online shop with their design and modelling competitions, their special offers, jazzy, easy to navigate website (avaliable in English)  and their ever growing selection of products. For people like me who don't really have the funds to splash out on expensive brands (even second hand can be pretty pricey) then I am able to build up my Lolita wardrobe using them. Especially the shoes - great for sturdiness and price and every pair I've ordered has fitted perfectly and been very comfortable.

I wanted to take advantage of their November offer of only £1 shipping so ordered some items I have wanted from them for a while. For an upcoming Lolita meet to Winter Wonderland in London (an event featuring markets, a circus, fairground rides, ice skating etc) I wanted a JSK which I could wear with a blouse underneath. Preferably a long sleeved blouse as I don't have a Lolita Suitable coat yet (reasons being price and my uncontrolable body temperature).

After looking at all of the JSKs on offer (I particularly liked the "Soft Cream" and "Squirrel's Party" prints) I decided on a "Carousel" type print in Lavender. It reminded me a bit of Angelic Pretty's "Sugary Carnival" but was different enough not to look like a cheap imitation. And... it has lots of stars! The colours are gorgeous and there are enough shades of white, blue, purple and pink (with yellow stars and shirring on the back) to make matching it with other items fairly simple.

I just love the carousel horses! They're so pretty!

It also comes with a cute detachable bow. The lace and ribbon quality are also pretty good.

Headwear wise, I got a headbow with the carousel in Emblu (Emerald Blue? I don't know) as they didn't have it in purple but it matched the dress well enough because of the subtle blend of colours in the print.

The lace is lovely and thick, yet delicate <3

I have white, pink and black OTK socks - so I got a pair in saxon blue! A steal at £4 and I love the ribbon and lace embelishments - simple but cute.

Another observation I have about Bodyline's items is that they are packaged beautifully - each in their own little plastic bag and folded nicely.
The main reason of my order now - white boots with roses. I fell in love with them seeing them online and I decided that as my next cosplay will be Esther Blanchett (Trinity Blood) and I am lacking her white boots (they will also be useful for my Seth cosplay) now would be the perfect time to get them for Christmas! They even split my order into two packages so I wouldn't have to pay a hefty customs charge as the boots are quite heavy. How considerate :D

They are even better in real life! The roses are detachable so if I just wanted plain white, that's possible too!
I have wanted to cosplay Haruhi Suzumiya (as well as record some dances in her uniform for my YouTube channel) and Bodyline do cosplay outfits which are well made and good value.

I was very pleased with how it looked on me, however I think I'll use the yellow headband that someone gave me from TokyoToys (right in picture) instead of the one provided. Mainly as the ribbons on the BL one are very long and the yellow too pale for my skintone.

Lastly is an adorable Sailor Fuku in green (which I thought would match my hair and complextion as well as being my favourite colour :D). It's comfortable and lovely to dance in and I may wear it in some videos. I mainly got it as A) it's super cute and I love the pleats - it's the right size and length and B) my friends and I have formed a mini dance group called Cinnamon Purrin, and whilst we have maid dresses and our LDN48 tartan skirts to match each other, having a different coloured Sailor Fuku each (Jess wants dark pink, Liz light blue) we thought would be pretty cool. The stiching is great as always and I am very happy with it.

I hope you enjoyed my little review on my Bodyline products. :D <3

I almsot forgot! Scarlett (Kawaii Star Of The Year 2011) has started her Blog; http://hjkawaiistar.tumblr.com/ - so be sure to have a look!

Finny out <3

Magazine And Green Tea

Well, it's very late, but on October 20th 2011 I was in "That's Life" magazine (Teen Queen organized the interview which was a lot of fun). It is basically a more in depth (and factually correct) account of what was in The Sun. 

Ok, so the front cover doesn't look very... inspiring, so they probably included my story to lighten the tone a bit. Either way, if I wasn't so easy-going and nice, (pahaha) the title may have shocked me a little bit. XD

Next, Cross Media, the lovely people who brought you The Kawaii Star Of The Year and other events at Hyper Japan sent me a free packet of Green Tea Powder which I won in an online competition via Eat Japan.

I just love free things!!!!! :D

20th London MCM Expo, October 2011

I decided to go to MCM Expo for the whole weekend (including Friday) as firstly I was free and secondly it was the 20^th ever MCM so I thought that it was kind of special. Plus I have enough cosplay costumes and Lolita clothes to wear one for each day J.

I wore Lolita on Friday as it is more toned down than my cosplays (that’s saying something XD) and my friend Jess who I was travelling with was also in Sweet Lolita. I got a chance to wear my Baby, The Stars Shine Bright dress, blouse and bow that I won, my Bodyline shoes and socks and my Chocomint accessories. We got our pictures taken by women and children alike – and that was just on the train to London Waterloo ;) One boy asked if we were tooth fairies!

With only a few strange looks we arrived at the Excel Centre only to be greeted by a multitude of aspiring models and fashion fanatics who were more than a little confused to see cosplays descend on the same venue as the Britain And Ireland’s Next Top Model 2011 Event they were going to. I decided to go all out and strut confidently in my heels as I felt brilliant in my outfit, and waited with my friend Scarlett (whom you may remember from my first Blog post at Hyper Japan whose next event will be in February 2012). The waiting time flew by and soon we were in :D

 

I bought most of the stuff I wanted on Friday so I wouldn’t have to carry around and hastily pack on the next few days when I was cosplaying. I just love Expo – all of the latest manga releases, loads of cute products and accessories and amazing offers all in one place! We even got to have a free signing session with voice actor, Vic Mignogna (whose name I still pronounce “Mig-nog-nah” XD) who was ever so nice and had time for all of his fans; chatting, pictures and signing everything from flyers to books and wall scrolls and who said I looked beautiful! I also saw Beckii Cruel (a girl who got famous in Japan after posting videos of her dancing to Japanese music on YouTube). Loads of pictures were taken and I had a fantastic day! :D

Not a flattering picture of either of us, I know.

I stayed at the hotel Ibis which was right next to the patch of grass at the front of the venue. Not only was it cheap when shared between several of us but I could literally roll out of bed and straight in.

I met several people who I had seen in Teen Queen (many were for the fashion expo, but Dorothy and her brother were for MCM). I must admit, I felt absolutely fabulous in my Seth Nightroad (Trinity Blood) outfit and had spent a while in the hotel room making sure everything from the wig to make up looked as good as it could.

I crave attention, so having my picture taken (even by Brow Threaders from the con next door) was fantastic. I had my picture taken by Neo for a Cosplay Idol competition (you win a spot in their calendar, a goody bag etc) and it was used in their display! My friend Liz was dressed as a maid and Jess was Macne Nana from Vocaloid and we had a lot of fun looking around the venue. We even staged a flash mob to Baka Baka on the grass (for which I had to strip most of my costume off as it was heavy and kept on getting blown about by the wind).

I watched many cool panels and performances and got a free goody bag! I was even stopped by Vic Mignogna who said Iooked beautiful in my costume (again). I know he probably says it to everyone but it made me really happy. The next time I met Beckii Cruel after walking past the Totally Cosplay stage. Her parents were frantically filming her performance and distributing promotional cards.

A piece of great news is that England came 1^st in the Euro Cosplay Finals! Also in the top three was a Trinity Blood cosplayer, so I was very happy indeed J. After a pub dinner, some went to the party being held in Novotel, but I spent my evening making a piece of my costume which I forgot at home, watching TV and reading manga <3

Sunday meant the final day of Expo and my final costume – Holo from Spice And Wolf. Despite it being the last day, quite a lot happened; I danced so much with the Just Dance 3 mobile game unit outside (watching 40 people, most in cosplay dance to “This Is Halloween” is HILARIOUS!) that I broke my costume… twice T_T Luckily the emergency repair stand in the Totally Cosplay section was ready and waiting. I got a few stalkers (I suppose being Holo comes with disadvantages) but I was surprised at how little they affected me this time as I brushed them off. I also got mobbed by Planet Of The Apes cosplayers XD More like planet of the rapes!

I also won a free Ocarina by naming some of the songs in the Zelda game (which I fortunately just completed on 3DS). I would have won a key ring as well if I remembered “Minuet Of The Forest”. Drat. But I was content to provide noise pollution with my instrument XD

I helped Masa Kun, a talented violinist whom I met at the JAF sell his CDs by holding up signs and talking to potential buyers whilst he played. I have a feeling wearing ears and a tail helped. Another downside of cosplaying Holo (or Horo as some people prefer) is that when I was holding up a sign and doing and impressive sales pitch (we sold lots of CDs XD) people said it was a great idea to have a "Cat Girl" helping. One man called me a "fine fox". -_- The humanity.

With that signalled the end of Expo for another year.

But… my day was not over yet! After an incredibly quick change in the toilets I headed for The Bowery in New Oxford Street where I would be Compare for The Electricity Club’s first ever event – TEC001! It took a while to get there (I was exhausted and had a lemonade when I arrived) and was quite nervous at the start adlibbing to an unfamiliar audience in an unfamiliar place but I soon got really into it and enjoyed the limelight. I even met someone who wrote a song for Irashi! There were also funny Harry Potter inspired phrases written on the toilet walls :D

I came back exhausted but happy that I had one of the most amazing weekends of my life! There were some totally awesome cosplays and such fun and lovely people! It was great meeting up with everyone and I loved all the attention. (If I don't get famous I don't know what I'll do XD).

I'l see you all next time! <3 I'm already planning my next cosplay! :D

For more pictures and video clips look at my video on my Youtube account: finnythewise

Prep For 20th MCM Expo

I am very excited for the MCM expo as today my latest cosplay is officially FINISHED!

I still have to brush the untidy wig and think of some makeup ideas but the initial tries looked pretty good. I'm thinking of using false lashes. I don't normally wear them as they scare me slightly and I'm always being told my lashes are long anyway. I'm happy with the way how the dress sits and looks when I am wearing it. The character I am trying to portray is Holo from Spice And Wolf (see picture).

This is me wearing it (covered in spots and looking (and feeling) like I haven't slept in a week.)

Also I now have business cards! Both professional and fun ones :D
I can't wait to give the fun ones to people. Last Expo when I got asked for my email/facebook/mobile number I felt a bit awkward, but now I have sites and pages specifically for this so I can talk to like minded people safely :)
I'm staying at Hotel Ibis this year - it's going to be amazing. I love free toileteries!

Whilst I'm at it, I'll go through my other outfits and cosplays that I have (14/10/2011).

My first ever cosplay was Holo from Spice And Wolf in her first outfit (after she put some clothes on XD). I didn't like the ears so had them remade for her next dress.

I have two lolita dresses from Bodyline (as it's the only thing I can afford T_T) and one from Baby, The Stars Shine bright which I won in The Kawaii Star 2011 Finals. I wore my Shiro Lolita dress to my college Leavers Ball to get a bit of diversity in there. It was a great succuess and many people loved the style. I love lolita fashion and would love to own enough pieces to be able to wear it often. I <3 the big bows and bonnets :D

Not the best pictures of them... oh well. The bottom one is me having a boogie onstage at KSOTY 2011, Hyper Japan with my watering can handbag in the background ;) I also got two lovely blouses and a pair of drawers there in the 2nd hand shop for next to nothing! I have a picture of my Baby dress on a previous post. I now have a list of lolita items I want. When I win the lottery and become a millionaire maybe...

Seth Nightroad from Trinity Blood has one of my all time favourite costumes. I also want to cosplay Esther (Nun Version) one day, but to make the props I'd need to master modelling materials first >_< I'm looking foward to trying.

Hopefully I'll get a better picture of the full length costume this Expo! I came 1st in a cosplay performance competition wearing this and dancing to Pink Ladies' UFO. My headpiece is like an Unidentified Object so I thought it was appropriate. My prize includes a signed CD, signed original manga work and a slot at London College Of Fashions Catwalk on the Bunkasai in November :) Exciting stuff.

Dancing with my friends has meant that I have a Japanese Style High School Uniform for LDN48 and a Maid Outfit which I wear for fun, whilst being part of a Maid Cafe and dancing with my friends (our group is called Hazumi Mimi at the moment. Or something).

Some members of LDN48. That's me front centre. ^^^^

Dancing :D

Here are my friends and I posing with The Enterta-minator who you might recognize from Britain's Got Talent. I'm the one crouching with the smallest gun. My friends look too happy holding their big firearms XD

I have so many cosplays I want to do - Lucy from Fairy Tail, Ookami and Rao from Ookami, Esther (Nun) from Trinity Blood, Orihime from Bleach, Haruhi(s) from OHSHC and TMOHS, Yuki from Vampire Knight and Alice from Alice In The Country Of Hearts to name a few. (Plus with Alice and Lucy I get to try being blonde XD And a red-head with Esther.) Speaking of red-heads, I want to do a Shirayuki cosplay (Akagami No Shirayukihime) but I doubt anyone would recognise it. Oh well XD