Costume Review: Beyond The Boundary Uniform from Redstar Cosplay

It's been too long since I've written a review! But Merry Christmas to those of you that celebrate ;O;

-♥-

I got both of these items a while ago, and the pictures of both aren't very good! But I hope you enjoy reading this review regardless. ;w;

For those of you that are unfamiliar, Mirai Kuriyama is from Beyond The Boundary. You've probably seen it around, but you can find the series on most third-party anime websites. (I think I watched it on YouTube a while ago, but I don't know if it's still there)

You can check out my review of the series here!

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I'll start with the uniform, which I got first. It came from Redstar Cosplay's Etsy shop for $40, and I'm pretty sure shipping was about $15. It's not the cheapest, but it's around the same price as other uniforms I found online.

Here's the picture on the website. (I picked "Uniform Only" in size "Female S")

They have both an Ebay and Etsy shop, but I ordered mine from Etsy.

I didn't have any issues with customer service, and the package arrived about 3 weeks after ordering, which is a reasonable wait time for something from China.

It came in the evening, hence the bad lighting >.>

-♥-

The package came with a skirt, jacket/shirt, and tie. There was also a generic thank you card, like most cosplays.

More bad lighting...

The tie was actually a bow attached to a safety pin! It wasn't ideal, but it wasn't that noticeable either so I guess it's okay.

Close up on the bow

I think the best part about this costume was the fact that the jacket had pockets! They don't have zippers or buttons, but they're 'u' shaped so it's not easy for stuff to fall out. They're about the size of my phone (an iPhone 5s), maybe wider.

The jacket was good quality, with shoulder pads and a nice lining. The lining was a smooth fabric (I don't know much about fabrics, but my guess is something like satin?), so I wasn't too cold or too hot. There are buttons on the front. Overall, the jacket quality was great.

*Black tights not included*

The skirt was fairly good quality, other than a few wrinkles on the sides. Nothing I can't iron out later.

-♥-

~Final ☻ Score~

Cost/Shipping Time: 8

Quality: 9

Accuracy: 8

Material & Fit: 9

Overall: 8.5

Bottom Line: This is a solid costume, and the pockets are a plus. I wish it could be a little less expensive, but there aren't any major problems with this one.

-♥-

Stay tuned for a review of the wig I'm using for this cosplay!~ Thanks for reading too!

-Gaby ☺

Costume Review: Sayaka Miki from CosplayShopper

Hello everyone!~ I recently received my Sayaka Miki costume, and as you know she's one of my all time favorite characters!~ I'll be premiering this costume at Another Anime Convention in October.

For those who don't know, Sayaka is from one of my all-time favorite anime series; Madoka Magica. You can find it on Netflix.

I should probably make that hairclip O_O

The costume is from CosplayShopper, who's centered in New York. Link is here.

I ordered it in an XS for about $110?

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So first off; let me talk about my not-so-great experience with the customer service:

I ordered my costume to be custom sized, for an extra $15 or so. After I sent in my measurements, they emailed saying they didn't seem right and I should measure myself again. I did and found out I gave them a waist measurement that was way to small, so I fixed it and sent it back. But then they emailed me again saying how they still weren't right and I should get measured by a tailor. I gave them the same measurements as before, because honestly I'm not dragging myself to a tailor when I can use a measuring tape just fine. Then they emailed again saying they don't make the costume custom-sized. (Yet they still haven't taken the option away on the website.) I went with an XS, since the sizing chart really did not match up with my measurements. With all due respect, I'm not oddly proportioned. A lot of people small enough to fit into a XS don't have a bust that big.

The costume came faster than expected (about 2 weeks) which was very nice, however I don't think they ship from NY considering my package was in China, South Korea, and Kentucky before it got to me.

In very on the fence about this company. Their customer service was a little hard to deal with and their sizing is very odd and a bad fit for me, but they were quick and very good quality.

-♥-

As I said, I received this package about two weeks after ordering. It came in a giant plastic bag (Left) and inside was... more plastic bags! (Right) Everything was individually wrapped except for the skirt. The accessories came in one bag

 I didn't use it in this review, but it also came with her sticker-gem-thing, which wasn't listed as included on the website. It was a nice bonus, however I'm not sure if it's reusable or how well it sticks. It has a circular sticker from the brand 3M on the back. Either way, I can always buy more of those stickers at Walmart if need be.

-♥-

Round 1: Shirt & Skirt!

There are two problems with the skirt and the shirt: the bust is waaaay too big and the skirt is waaaay too small. Of course these can be fixed, but I could see my shorts that I wear under every skirt. That's how short it was. 

There are zippers on most of the costume. They're hidden, so that makes them a little hard to zip, but they look nice. There's also a button so you can hide the skirt zipper with one of the side flaps, which was a nice touch.

The quality is amazing! The buttons on the short weren't super cheap and the ruffles cooperated. I was afraid of the breastplate looking cheesy, but I think it looks nice.

Not the best fit...

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Round 2: Accessories!

 Next was the stockings, arm sleeves, belt, and those things that go on the stockings!

Much like the skirt and shirt; the problem here was the fit. I actually ended up sewing the upper arm bands and the stocking additions (what do I call them?) because they were way too big. Which is odd because the lower arm sleeves and the stocking fit perfectly! The belt had to be put as tight as it could go in order to fit okay.

I love the stocking that came with this costume! They were translucent, but they felt really nice and weren't itchy or sweaty at all! I could barely tell they were there.

-♥-

Round 3: Gloves & Cape!

For some reason the gloves were super puffy? They fit okay but they feel heavy when you're wearing them. I didn't like them that much, but I'll deal. If anything they were a little on the small side.

I love the cape! It doesn't feel like it's choking me and it defiantly completes the costume. The detail is nice and exact too.

Ignore my face e_e

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~Final ♥ Score~
Cost/Shipping Time: 9
Quality: 9
Accuracy: 8
Material & Fit: 7

Overall: 8.25

Bottom Line: I honestly wish the customer service was better, because this costume is amazing. You get more than what you pay for (which is quite a bit) in quality, but the sizing will most likely require some fixing. Not sure if I'll order from CosplayShopper again as custom sizing didn't seem to go well for me.

-♥-

I hope you enjoyed today's review! I really look forward to wearing this costume at AAC!~

- Gaby♪

Bluetime Skirt Review

I'm on a roll! Yay me!~ :D

So today I just received this skirt from Bluetime via Amazon. It's only $12.99, if that says anything.

Me, thinking I found another hidden deal on Amazon

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Considering my past experience with cheap clothes on Amazon; I probably shouldn't have gotten this skirt. But I think the quality was surprisingly good. At the very least it was better than I thought.

Here's what the skirt is supposed to look like:

See; I realized once I got it that this isn't the actual skirt I received. Mine had a gold zipper, and the charm on the zipper was a fake pearl. Here's a close up:

It looks more silver in this light, but it's gold

Two out of three problems in this dress lie in the zipper. First off; the fabric that surrounds the zipper is on the outside, which makes it look unprofessional and cheap. Secondly; the zipper smells like weird China plastic. It's not smell that's super strong (I can only faintly smell it when I'm wearing the skirt), but it's there. I hope it goes away once I wash it, but if it doesn't I might try to turn to febreeze.

[EDIT: I washed the skirt and the smell has since gone away. 9/23/15]

-☀-

I ordered this around 2 weeks ago? Amazon told me that the earliest it's come would be September 14th, but it arrived August 31st.

It comes with Amazon free shipping on orders over $35, which was a plus.

-☀-

The skirt comes in one size, so I was somewhat wary. It ended up fitting well on me though. Not perfect (it was a little short and a little big around the waist), but fairly good.

My top is from Rue 21- Find it here

The main problem was the length and the flow of the skirt part. I'm 5'3" (63 cm), and leaning down this skirt almost showed my underwear. So I'd defiantly wear it with shorts or tights. [General Tip: Cut an old pair of leggings to make shorts that you can wear under skirts/dresses- I do this all the  time.]

The skirt can look pretty choppy and weird...

The pleats seemed very weird and choppy. I'm not sure if it was the way it was sewed or if it need ironing or something, but it looked odd from certain angles. 

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~Final ♥ Score~
Cost/Shipping Time: 9
Quality: 7.5
Accuracy: 8
Material & Fit: 7.5

Overall: 8

Bottom Line: If you don't have a lot of money and you're somewhat short, then I'd go for this. But saving up to buy a better quality version would probably get you farther. I think I'll wear this out a few times, but not as often as I do with my other skirts.

-☀-

Hope you enjoyed today's review!~ That's all, folks! Cya soon~

-Gaby ♥

Anime Review: Beyond The Boundary

Guess who decided to pop in again with yet another anime review? I know anime reviews are all I've been doing lately, but with my cosplay progress slowed in the midst of working on Mirabelle, I need something to post about.

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Today I'm bringing you a review of Beyond The Boundary, or Kyoukai No Kanata. From my understanding it's not extremely popular, but it's known. You might recognize the main character.

Link most animes I end up watching, I started this on whim this morning... Mainly because I liked the main character's character design...

I'm a sucker for good character design... :')

-Information-

High school student Akihito decides to be a good person and convince a girl at his school not to jump of the ledge of a building and end her life. In return, she stabs him with a sword. The odd pair end up becoming close friends, and soon they're eating at a Mexican restaurant together. Turns out there's a lot of .,~*supernatural*~,. stuff involved in both parties, and shit goes down. I really can't say much else without spoiling stuff.

Genere: Humor turns into Drama, with some Supernatural elements sprinkled in.

Episodes: 12 (You can find all of the subbed episodes on YouTube as of 8/30/15)

Slay! Literally

-Ratings-

Plot/Concept: 7/10

The plot was very confusing towards the middle. Maybe it's just me, but I barely knew the main character's name by the end. I had to go back and wikipedia it. So if you're a person who's looking for an anime you can half-watch while you sew a cosplay (like my sister sometimes does), then save this one for later. The concept was interesting, but confusing, as I said before. I feel like the ending was a little rushed. Overall, it gave me a weird vibe towards the end... something like "why am I feeling nothing by this point, shouldn't I be having a feels attack?"

Character Development, Design, & Relations: 8/10

The character design for the female main character is great. It was creative, original, and refreshing. And that was also delivered in her personality. She's cute but tough, emotional but strong, and I felt I could relate to her a lot. She's not just a badass character- she's a badass character with a cute exterior and emotions that show through. The male lead had some pretty good character design too, not as original, but still refreshing enough. He's witty, kind, and fairly... normal. I think the design of those two really complemented each other and let themselves shine. Their emotions both developed with the plot to an extent, but towards the end I felt their reactions were more reserved. If that's a creative decision, I don't know. Character development could've been taken a lot farther in the second half of the series. The other characters were great too, but I feel they were underdeveloped and their design less original.

Music/Art: 9/10

Can I just say that I love the ending theme? Both the music and animation were amazing and heartfelt. The opening was okay, it grew on me but I still don't love it. The background music was very nicely done, so props for that. The animation was especially great toward the beginning, but I probably feel that way because the beginning was more cheerful. All in all, the animation wasn't anything suoer unique like the labyrinths in Madoka Magica, but it was well done and pleasant to look at.

There's a little Mirai in all of us

-Overall: 8/10-

Bottom Line: Looking back on it, the series seemed to get worse as it went on. But is it still worth watching? Defiantly. The characters are a breath of fresh air, and all in all, this anime warmed my heart.

-♥-

Well I gotta hurry off to bed if I want some decent sleep for tomorrow, so cya everyone!~

Let me know what blog posts you'd like to see next! I'll try my best to update more~ ;v;

-Gaby ♥

Anime(?!) Review: RWBY

Now; before you start with me; questioning whether RWBY is an anime or not could be debated for ages. For the sake of this review we will call it one; because it makes writing this hella easier. Okay?

For those of you who haven't watched or hear of RWBY yet; don't let those earlier statements put you off! While not like traditional anime; RWBY (pronounced Ruby) is more like vocaloid-style animation. It also happens to come in the form of two "volumes"; each around 2.25 hours long. But before you disregard the show altogether for those things; hear me out. I think this show deserves a lot more credit than it's given.

So; are you prepared to be amazed?

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You might've stumbled across RWBY on Netflix; watched the beginning; and hated it. But if you are one of those people; I am here to show you that there is so much more to this show than the sub-par, boring opening scene! Trust me on this one~

I find a lot of people have judged this show right off the bat. And I guess I can't blame all of you because I've done that with other stuff too. But behind these things is a real gem of a story; packed with lovable characters and epic fight sequences. (food fight, anyone?)

So let me explain myself to you before you close out of this review. :')

Fun Fact: I started watching this show on whim just bc I liked Ruby's character design.

-Information-

Ruby Rose (No, not the celebrity) is a 15 year old girl on her way to become a huntress; fight monsters, and defend the citizens of Vale. But a lucky turn of events lands her into the elite Beacon Academy a few years earlier than expected, and soon Ruby finds both social and criminal challenges to face. Along with her sister Yang and a group of friends she's met along the way; can Ruby overcome her social awkwardness and prove herself as not just a little kid?

Genere: This story has it all. Action, drama, humor, romance, all in perfect balance.

Episodes: Two Volumes; #1 is 2 hours and #2 is 2.5 hours

Fight me!

-Ratings-

Plot/Concept: 8/10

I feel like the plot is where this show falls short; but honestly it wasn't all that bad. The concept and plot were both stuff that's been done before; but I didn't find myself getting tired of this show. I sound contradicting; but overall the concept was mediocre and not very original. But was it well done? Yes, there's no doubt about that.

Character Development, Design, & Relations: 10/10

The characters in this show are amazing, A++, make me cry of happiness, incredible. First off; the character design is creative, bright, and visually appealing in every aspect. I started watching this for character design and I was defiantly not let down. On top of that; the character development was stellar. You get to learn a lot about the characters; and from sad backstories to watching them deal with student and hero life, it's all breathtaking. Plus; you get to see their relationships develop; sometimes with struggles in the way. Overall; the characters are quirky, relateable, and some of the best I've seen.

Music/Art: 9/10

The animation takes a little bit to get used to; but I grew fond of it fairly quickly. The art overall provides great contrast and conveys the tone very well. As far as visuals; I loved this anime. Honestly; the music isn't that memorable, but it goes nicely and really sets the mood.

Squad Goals

Overall: 9/10

Bottom Line: Although you may be quick to judge; this anime is a rare treasure. The characters and art are something spectacular. It's different; but not bad. :)

-♡-

Bai!~ :D

-Tenshi

Anime Review: Free! Eternal Summer

I've wanted to write this post for a long time, so here it is! My first anime review~

I plan to do a lot of these in the future, so I hope you enjoy reading this one!~

NOTE: Free! Eternal Summer is the 2nd season of Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. This review will contain spoilers from the first season.

[♂]

So, if you've gotten past the first season, congratulations! All of your friends who haven't watched the anime probably now think you're a wierdo now; but that's okay! Right? :D

Let's get started!

-Information-

Synopsis: After last year's tournament, the Iwatobi Swim Club is back to conquer the championships once again! Except this time without getting disqualified. But what's this?! Looks like Rin is back, and organizing a team for the relay! And on top of all of this, Haru, Makato, Rin, and new character Souske all have to decide what to do in their futures! Will they continue swimming? Will they chose totally un-related careers? And who's winning this relay anyways? Get ready for more feels and tear in Free! Eternal Summer. (And side note, the Ragisa feels are still going strong.)

Genre: Sports, Almost Yaoi, Humor

For the most part this anime is pretty lighthearted. But I did shed a few tears. :')

And of course there were times when shit got real.

Episodes: 13

Swim!

-Ratings-

Plot & Character Development: 8/10

As far a sequels go, they did a pretty good job on this one. They didn't open up any doors that had already been closed, and this time they included Rei more, which I found satisfying. You get to see not only Iwatobi, but also a lot of Samezuka and Rin in this season. The character development is great in this season. They introduce three new characters, and by the end of the season you're comfortable with them. Although the focus is often on Samezuka, Iwatobi isn't neglected, and each of them have a lot of great character development too. I felt like I grew closer to all of them, and I really didn't know who to vote for in the races because of that. Which was a weird feeling, but it was exciting.

Music & Art: 8/10

I really liked the opening and ending for this season, more than I did the first. The ending seems to suit the anime, although the opening is a little like the first one, both musically, and in that it was a little over-dramatic. The animation was amazing for both opening and ending. The background music was okay, it didn't really stand out though. Like the first season, the art and animation were great, especially during the action shots. The character design was good, but I felt the new characters were a little more ordinary compared to the older ones as far as looks.

 Overall: 8/10

[♂]

Bottom Line: Although at first it may seem a little boring, it defiantly picks up a few episodes in. I think this season was better than the first, and the character development present is something worth watching for. Regardless if you liked the first season or not; I'd check out this anime.

Until next time!

~Tenshi

FINEJO Dress Review

I'm back! Time for another dress review~

Today I will be reviewing a dress I found on Amazon, titled "FINEJO Women's Slim Lace Tight Waist Long Sleeve Mini Skater Dress"! Sound sketchy? It kinda is! But you'll find out more in a sec.

Link is here

Get it? Haha, Gaby's funny.

-♥-

So I'm just going to come out and say it; I was an idiot for ordering this dress. But I'm naive and broke so that causes people to do stupid things. I think I have common-idiocy-syndrome. Like when I tried to glue my eyebrows yesterday. :')

Anyways, here's what the dress was supposed to look like:

:')

So this dress was $14.33 and free shipping, which is a red flag right there. But it looked so cute I just had to get it. As I said before, I'm broke and naive. It comes in beige, too.

It was supposed to come by end of June - mid July and it got here June 16th, so that was very fast. I'm pretty sure it came from China.

-♥-

*DISCLAIMER: Belt sold separately, I don't remember where I got it though*

Filtered

Original

 It come in sizes M - XL, but I heard it ran small so I thought I'd be okay (I'm a size 0). Boy, was I wrong! This one ended up looking terrible on me, although I'm not sure if it was my body type or the size difference. But you win some and you lose some, right? :)

It was really short as far as the skirt, and went to above my knees. Good thing I was wearing shorts underneath too, because the skirt was a little see-through. O.O

On the flip side, the sleeves were a little too long and the corset-esque thing in the back had to be done up as tight as it could go. and even then it was big. Hence the belt I tacked on.

-♥-

Cri ;-;

There was one ribbon, but I folded it.

The material was uncomfortable, but not itchy. It kinda felt like a Halloween costume. The lace was poorly cut. The ribbon for the back was a cheap, wrinkled velveteen, but it didn't fray. The brackets looked like they'd stay on, but were poorly shaped in some places. Overall, the details were all sub-par.

-♥-

~Final ♥ Score~

Cost/Shipping Time: 8

Quality: 7

Accuracy: 8

Material & Fit: 6

Overall: 7

Bottom Line: I don't ever think I'll wear this dress again. There are a lot of things that could've been worse, but this company fell short when they made this dress. Overall; you get what you pay for.

-♥-

I know today's review wasn't the most interesting, but I should have more posts up soon so stay on the look out!

Bai,

~Tenshi

Hot Topic Dress Review!

So if you didn't already know; today I got my dress I had ordered for my school dance Friday! So, even though it's not strictly anime-related, I like reviews and by the page view I get I'm assuming you guys do too. So let's get started!

-♫-

So I ordered the dress on about Thursday night, and it arrived today. It was shipped after about a day or two. The original dress looks like this; and the link to order can be found here.

It was about $32, shipping was $5. You can also get it shipped to your nearest store for free, but that takes around 2 weeks and even longer if you live outside the continental US. I don't have any information on international shipping.

I'd say it's pretty reasonably priced for a dress. It was originally $50, but Hot Topic can be kinda pricey so I guess that's expected. It's not a guarantee, but I'm pretty sure you can find some in stores, as I've seen this dress around often at my local one.

-♫-

No Filter

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One of the reasons I could see someone not getting this dress is the size. Currently, the only size available on the website is XS. There isn't a plus-sized option for this one either, unlike a lot of Hot Topic's dresses.

Luckily for me, who hovers between a XS and a S (In numbers, I'm a size 0), it fit perfectly. The neck strap is adjustable, and you could argue the corset-style ribbon in the front is too, although I don't think that'd do much. There's a zipper in the back to get it on.

-♫-

Although I was worried the color wouldn't look good on my skin tone, I don't think it looks all too bad. The skirt was a little puffier than the picture, but I was happy with that. I wouldn't call the fabric smooth, but it wasn't something unpleasant to feel. The dress wasn't itchy or uncomfortable either.

It was a little weird sitting down, because I didn't want to crush the netting underneath. That's really the only problem I have though, and it's nothing too major to stop me from wearing it.

It was great quality, and showed no signs of being cheaply made.

-♫-

~Final ♫ Score~

Cost/Shipping Time: 9

Quality: 8

Accuracy: 10

Material & Fit: 8

Overall: 8.75

Bottom Line: I'd get this dress, even if you don't necessarily think it'll look the best with your skin tone. It looks better than in the picture, but overall doesn't stand out. But for $32, I'd say it's worth it.

Cya next time!

~Tenshi

*EDIT [6/16/15]: I take back my earlier comment about this not standing out; because when I wore it to my school dance I ended up getting a ton of compliments on it! Like, people I don't usually talk to were coming up and telling me they loved it. So I guess it is pretty unique?

Double Review: Wigs [Hiro Genderbend + Miyuki]

Hello, everyone! Today I'm back and reviewing two of the news wigs I just got; my Hiro Hamada genderbender and my Miyuki Takara wigs. I will also be including things relating to their companies, MelodySusie and Cosplay House, respectvily.

 Let's get started!~ \(^0^)/

-♥-

MelodySusie Black Curly Wig Review

This one can be found on the MelodySusie website, but I ordered from this link on Amazon, where it was a few dollars cheaper and included free shipping.

So I ended up being frugal on this cosplay, which ended up backfiring for different reasons unrelated to this wig. But for about $15 I was very surprised by the quality and packaging of this wig.

When I opened up the cute lil' box, I got 4 items: the wig, a "professional wig comb", a wig cap, and this weird bookmark. The box had instructions on how to take care of the wig, and honestly it's one of the best packaged wigs I've gotten and the cheapest. The only problem I had was that the comb's package was halfway opened when I looked in the box. Honestly though, I used it anyways, and it's great for combing curly wigs. The wig cap wasn't anything special, it was standard quality.

The wig itself was like the product picture, plus it was easy to run my fingers through and had no tangles. Excellent quality. Below's a picture of the wig I took the other day.

I really can't say much more about this wig, because it was excellent quality. It got to my house within a week. It fit nicely, other than the wig cap hurting a little. On the packaging it says curling wands and straightening irons aren't recommended.

Pros: Great Quality, Low Cost, Nice Extras/Packaging
Cons: I honestly can't think of any. You get well beyond what you pay for with this wig.

~Final ★ Score~

Cost/Shipping Time: 10

Quality: 10

Accuracy: NA (It's up to the cosplayer on this one, really)

Material & Fit: 9

Overall: 9.5

-♥-

Cosplay House Miyuki Takara Wig

Can be found on Cosplay House's website.

Unlike the last one, I got this one for about $35 plus around $10-$12 shipping. The reason was because all the other Miyuki wigs looked inaccurate.

I got it after about two weeks, as advertised. It also came pre-styled like the website said it would be. It was great quality, but I was paying a lot so that was expected. I'm happy with the wig, there's really not a lot more to it.

Another thing worth noting is the wig cap it came with has been the first comfortable wig cap I've really worn. Very good quality on that too. ^.^

It was accurate, too. Great job done on the styling. Here's a picture:

Pros: Comfortable Wig Cap, Pre-Styled, Good Quality

Cons: $$$

~Final ★ Score~

Cost/Shipping Time: 8

Quality: 10

Accuracy: 9

Material & Fit: 10

Overall: 9

-♥-

So which wig is better?

I'm not here to answer that, because they're both great quality wigs in themselves. But I will say that if you want to get a wig from one of these two companies, go with MelodySusie. The reason is just simply that you get around the same quality for 25% of the price. It's true that MelodySusie doesn't have a lot of cosplay-oriented wigs, so if you can't find what you're looking for, consider Cosplay House. It's expensive, but if you're looking for excellent quality you really can't go wrong on that one.

I'm very happy with both of my wigs, and am looking forward to ordering from both of these companies again! Thank you all so much for reading, and be sure to check out my new gadget with my IG feed and if you have an IG, check out my acc at @the.otaku.diaries!

Until next time,

~Tenshi