2015's Best Nine!

Wow, what a year it's been! ( ; ▽ ; )ﾉ

2015 was a great year for cosplay, and also my first full year of cosplay. Other than my Natsu cosplay in October of 2014 (that seems forever ago...), all my other (13 others) cosplays have been done/started in 2015! So with the whole #2015bestnine trending, I thought I'd share my 9 favorite cosplay photos from this year!

Keep in mind that these are my favorite photos, not cosplay I've done. I don't think I'd be able to rank my cosplays like that, haha. And unlike the website 2015bestnine, these were chosen by me and not ranked by the amount of likes each picture got.

Let's get started!

-♪-

9 - The L Selfie

(L from Death Note, June)

I have mixed feelings on this picture... Serious poses aren't my strong suit! But I look a little bit like a guy. Just a little bit.

8 - Hipster Ariel

(Ariel from The Little Mermaid, September)

This was featured in a blog post, click here to check it out!

This picture reminds me of when my backyard was all green and not just brown. ;O;

Actually, this was one of the first photoshoots my sister and I had done in our backyard since it got renovated over the summer! So this gives me good memories. :)

7 - Miyuki!~

(Miyuki from Lucky Star, August)

For some reason my Miyuki cosplay got really popular in this last month? I haven't worn her in a while either, so it was so weird! But not in a bad way, I'm really flattered! Thank you again to those that gave me random shoutouts! I'm glad you like my Lucky Star cosplays~ owo

I like my smile in this picture too! ^O^

6 - Onesie Day!

(Bad Badtz Maru from the Sanrio Franchise, September)

Check out the vlog that goes with this photo! Link here

I don't think I've ever posted this version of this photo on IG, but I still love it! Our onesie day was so much fun~ Ahh I miss playing Mario Kart now. ;O:

5 - Now I Am A Witchling~

(Witchling Mirabelle from Magical DoReMi, September)

Another picture I don't think I ever posted to IG... I'm still really proud of this costume! I love wearing it, even if I do have to worry a little bit about it breaking. I still remember the spot in the bathroom at AAC where I glued the wandaler back together three times! XD

4 - Nagisa + Chips Ahoy

(Nagisa from Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, December)

The vlog with this photoshoot is up! Link is here

So for some reason it was like 60 degrees in December? Even though it was freezing in October? Anyways, if you missed the caption of this photo on IG; this was actually a canon! That's why the Chips Ahoy and my phone are in the background. But this was a really fun shoot too!

3 - Ojamajo Christmas

(Mirabelle from Magical DoReMi, December) 

Once again, the BTS of this photoshoot is here!

I really like this photo, although mainly because all four of our group is in it. We rarely get photos with all four of us beside selfies. This makes me miss hanging out with y'all. :')

2 - "You And I Make Nintendo Wii" / The NaLu Photo

(Natsu from Fairy Tail, October) 

Check out our vlog for this shoot and AAC! Link here

I miss Another Anime Convention so much! Also, if you look at our Zenaki NaLu shoots they're complete trash. So I'm glad I got some nice photos. This one's my favorite out of them all. :)

This one just gives me good memories~

1 - Sayaka 2.0

(Sayaka from Madoka Magica, December)

So I tried out my new Sayaka wig I got for Christmas (on Christmas, too!). If you know me you've probably heard that she's my favorite character ever. This was the first photo where I really felt like I had done her justice. I was actually quite un-confident in the old wig I had for her, so I'm so happy that I finally feel confident in this one. It's a great feeling. :)

-♪-

I hope you enjoyed this vlog!~ I hope next year can even better than this year was, and I look forward to going to cons and stuff~

Cya in 2016!

-Gaby ♥

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!

-♥-

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 ☺

Outfit Blog- Shopping Trip / Pre-AAC Vlog

I now realize how similar this OOTD is to my last one I posted about, but oh well. (~w~;

This OOTD is featured in The Cosplay 4's Pre-AnotherAnimeConvention Vlog! Video is here or at the bottom of this post~

-♪-

Mirror Selfie~

Flannel: I originally got mine from Aeropostale not too  long ago, but they seem to have gotten rid of it (at least online). You can find a similar one from Forever 21 for $24.

White Shirt: Another Aeropostale item they seem to have gotten rid of, but you can get one at Macy's for $17.

Skirt: I've done a review on this skirt!~ Link is here.

A better shot of my boots, tights, and shirt

Tights: I got mine at Hot Topic for around $12.

Boots: I got these in the Rue 21 clearance section, but you can find similar ones at Light In The Box for around $40.

Bow:I got mine from Forever 21 for $2

ChokerI was wearing a basic tattoo choker, I think from Rue 21? You can buy one on Amazon for $3

And there's my bow!~

-♪-

Watch our vlog (where I wore this outfit) below!~

-♪-

Bye everyone!

-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?

-♥-

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...

-♥-

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

 -♥-

~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♪

Outfit Blog- Hipster Ariel

A few days ago I did a little Hipstre/Emo/Grunge version of Ariel and ended up looking like a 10-year old in a Targert commercial. But I was really fun and I got some good pictures out of it, so I thought I'd list my outfit!~ ^O^

-◘-

Mirror selfie~ PC: Me

Flannel: Aeropostale, $14

T-Shirt: Hot Topic, $20

Jeans: Old Navy, $32

Boots: I got mine in the Rue 21 clearance section for $10, but there are similar one at Light In The Box for $32

I hope you can see the necklaces! >.<

First Choker: Claire's, $6.50

Second Choker: Again, something I found in Rue 21 that I can't find anymore, but they do have this choker set which looks similar.

Necklace: Jewelry isn't available on their website, but it's from Old Navy for about $11(?)

The bow was altered by me after I randomly found it in my nightstand. owo

The fake glasses I stole from a friend a few years ago. owo

And the wig is from AliExpress. I'm leaving out the link because it's a terrible place to buy stuff and this wig is probably the only good thing I've gotten out of them. [They just have terrible quality items overall, I learned that the hard way]

-◘-

I hope you liked this post, although it's short!~ Have a good day everyone!

-Gaby

How To Become A Cosplayer! *PART 2*

It's been way too long since I've updated this! I'm so sorry everyone. (~O~; )

Part 1 is here~

~Mugi Slug~

~♥~

Step 4: Research Time!

So you know what you need, but now what? You need to buy the cosplay of course! How tho? (This has gone no where. I'm sorry for my ramblings. ~o~)

It's research time now, folks! In my short time of being a cosplay (almost a year already!) I don't have that many suggestions. But here are the few I do have:

CosplayHouse.com [My review for one of their wigs is here]

MelodySusie [My review for one of their wigs is here. I recommend the brand, but I've only ordered from them via Amazon so idk about shipping]

Amazon usually has the right stuff for cosplays that can be broken down into everyday clothing items. I usually try looking on there, and I get my wigs from there often too.

Ebay you have to be careful with, but I've gotten some wigs off of there.

I make it a rule of mine to avoid AliExpress. I did get some of my Natsu items there and they were great, but I've also gotten an Ariel cosplay that was around 5 sizes too big on me and poor quality. I spent about 2 hours making alterations, and it still doesn't feel right.

In general, always look up a review or two before you buy from a certain store. There are a lot of stores out there that will give you crap quality items. Same thing with brands too. If you look in the item description on Amazon/Ebay/etc, it will often list the company and you can look them up.

Be wary of super cheap deals, kids. $10 for a Miku wig is probably a scam.

~♥~

Step 5: Getting The Money

By know you should know exactly how much money you'll need for this cosplay. This is the hard part.

Your parents are probably your best shot if you're too young for a job. Ask for allowance, do extra chores, or even ask them to help fund part of your cosplay. I personally receive allowance, which works out perfectly for me. No, it's not $80 a month, but it lets me budget my money and think How many months do I need to save up for my next cosplay? and Am I really using my money wisely?

Even so, you might need some more cash to make this happen. Save up birthday money, help out your neighbors, or babysit. Last year I helped assistant teach at my dance studio, and I got a ton of money for it. More money = More cosplay.

You'll need to know your limits though. One thing you'll quickly learn is that you can't do three good cosplays every month for the whole year unless you have a money tree in your backyard. Don't go trying to get as many done as you can and sacrifice the quality you're paying for in the process.

Pretty much every cosplayer is broke

~♥~

Step 6: The Little Things

Be sure to either check out Amazon or your local drugstore for this stuff, especially if you're going to a con.

-Wig Cap [This hold up your hair under the wig. Some wigs come with a free one, but even so you'll probably want an extra few]

-Styrofoam Wig Head [You can find this at Joanne's or Michael's] 

-Eyeliner [My favorite is NYC's liquid eyeliner]

-Mascara [Miss Manga by L'Oreal has always been my preference]

-Foundation, Blush, and Lip Tint/Gloss/Stick [I'm always playing around with what products I use for these three]

-Bobby and Safety Pins [They always disappear on me! *^*]

-A Staple Bag And Pair Of Shoes [This is mainly for a con. For most of my cosplays I end up using my black Converse, because they match fairly well and they're comfortable. My bag was just randomly picked off of Amazon.]

This makes my lips feel chapped... X_X

~♥~

Well; that's all for now! I'll hopefully pick this up again soon. I think I might be running out of ideas for steps. >w<

-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

-☀-

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. 

-☀-

~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 ♥