A New Project: Otakuography! - Cosplay Modeling & Photography.

Konnichiwa Minna!~ I have been gone for just under a month because I've been working on a special project with one of my super close friends Rachel, and that project is... *drum roll* ... Cosplay modeling and photography! 

So at the beginning of August we decided to start taking pictures of our cosplays from previous conventions and our future cosplays for this years Glasgow MCM Comicon as well. After a week or so we decided on a name for our Facebook page "OTAKUOGRAPHY". ♥

Yeah this was pretty much the entire of August for us, editing our photos, fixing the page and promoting ourselves to local cosplayers. I was pretty much waiting for the page to take off before writing this post as an explanation, so i'm glad to say that we have 150 likes so far! We have also began our Youtube channel where vlogs, m/v's of our cosplays and photo shoots can be watched!

We plan to specialize in all aspects of cosplay photography, at the moment the only upcoming photo shoots are based around anime/video games but hopefully in the future we may expand into comic books, movies etc... ♥

We both have previous experiences with photography and editing, such as degrees/qualifications and freelancing so this is not a new hobby for us and we are quite experienced in this field. However, editing in a cosplay way is slightly new but we feel like we're getting to grips with it well! 

At the moment we have only done two photo shoots, one for me which was Asuna Yuki from Sword Art Online and one for Rachel which was Natsu Dragneel Fem! from Fairy Tail. We hope to do many more in the future along with the few that we have lined up like Haruka Nanami from Uta no Prince-sama and The Pokemon Trainers from the X&Y series!

We hope to have a lot of support from all of my readers and we'll do our best to deliver amazing results at the same time as having a ton of fun. ♥♥ For any inquires into our new project whether it be for modeling/photography or advice then please don't hesitate to contact us either on our Facebook page, my blog or our Youtube Channel! ♥

Otakuography FB Page! - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Otakuography/419027741614863

Thank you very much for reading my post. I hope you stick around for more in the future 

ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ... ♥

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• 
  

Dealing with a Skin Condition: Eczema & The Cosplayer

 Konnichiwa Minna-san! Today is a very different type of post and i've been working up to it for a couple of weeks (I got very nervous). For the last two years I have been dealing with Eczema which was brought on from the stress of college, even after this much time i'm still learning about my body and what will affect my skin majorly. ♥

I wanted to write a blog post on how I deal with my condition, what I do and what I don't do and how I cope with it during some cosplays. Just as a disclosure I'm by no means speaking for everyone with this condition, it's more or less my experiences with it. ♥

In these images my eczema was no where near it's worst stages, but it was still and irritation at these levels. The first image was a slight infection which is why my arm looks a little bumpy, and the second is my arm starting to clear up from a major break out. ♥

For me changing my diet and using medicated creams has really brought my eczema under control and cleared it up majorly. ♥

My diet changes consisted of drinking more water, around 3 glasses a day. This not only started to clear my eczema but it also evened my skin tone and reduced spots on my face. Eating certain foods such as strawberries can violently break people out in rashes, i've never experienced this as I really dislike them but i've been told they are one of the worst things for skin conditions. ♥

My medicated treatments are both cream based and gel based. I'm not entirely sure of the cream one's name, but the gel one is called Audavate. For the last 4 months or so i have been primarily using the gel ointment more as it's stronger and clears my eczema up within a week. It can also be used before you go into the shower (showering can be painful during a flare up, this helps to dull the pain and protect the flared skin). ♥

Covering up my arms is one thing, but covering my neck and upper chest can be tricky. It's impossible to be in a turtle neck 12 months of the year, so i've had to learn to accept the marks that can appear in this area. The picture above is again quite mild but a lot of the time the marks on my neck can look like bruises or love bites, it's pretty upsetting seeing someone staring at you, thinking you're trashy because of the marks when it's clearly not the case. ♥

Treating these flare ups is an easy process but the hard part is knowing that the areas that are exposed can't be covered up by make-up or anything (concealer/foundation can dry the skin out even more and lead to infection). So you are pretty much stuck with the dirty looks from people until it goes away naturally or with medication. ♥

Cosplaying with eczema can be challenging, wearing a lot of layers and walking through a hot convention all day can take it's toll on your skin. Sweating with eczema can be very painful and cause immediate flare ups while you're out, this can really ruin your day and for me last year I eventually changed out of my Asuna Yuki cosplay because of this (And also because the wig is freakishly heavy). ♥

Keeping to a light weight costume is preferred since it will keep you cooler, sensitive baby wipes and keeping your medicated cream/gel in your handbag is also a must. Anything that can wipe away sweat and cover the skin with a barrier is perfect for this warm environment. I also use this system for working out and going out on sunny days to make sure I enjoy everything to the fullest. ♥

A few days ago I got a tattoo as a memorial for my dog that passed away a year ago, I also wanted to write about people having eczema and wanting tattoos as most may be deterred because of their condition. It's been 3 days now and i've had no flare ups in the area and no allergic reaction either (I have an extreme allergy to hair dye). I felt like this was work mentioning as it's a new thing I know my skin is alright with. ♥

Thank you very much for reading my post, this was incredibly hard for me to write since i'm not very talkative about this subject. I hope you stick around for more in the future 

ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ... ♥

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Hyper Japan & London 2015 Haul! ♥

Konnichiwa Minna-san! I have a very special post to share with you all today, and that is my Hyper Japan & London Haul! 

Last weekend me. my fiancé and our two friends went on a trip all the way down to London for the Hyper Japan convention, which was totally amazing! ♥ So i'm going to start off with the items I bought at Hyper Japan, and then move onto things I bought when I was exploring London !x

Kpop is a complete obsession for me, and as many of you may know I am a STARLIGHT ♥. I adore VIXX with all my heart so I made a few sneaky purchases at the Kpop stall, starting with this dust plug for my phone. It's very simple and made from acrylic but I don't have any VIXX charms hanging from my phone yet, so for me it was a must! ♥ I believe I paid £4 for this, but i'm not too sure.

My second VIXX purchase was these adorable stickers!! ♥ I'm a complete sucker for Kpop stationary, and this was no exception. It has all of the members on little stamps with some quotes beneath some of the pictures, it's far too cute xxx! I paid £5 for these but i've seen them a lot more expensive online.

I LOVE THIS KEYRING ♥ It's everything I want and more... Every member has a full picture of themselves when they were promoting Error and also a group picture as well. UGH! it's just sheer perfection, I know that most of these items are not official and are fan made, but it's so hard to find VIXX products in the UK for a decent price. This keyring was £4! ♥

My favourite anime of all time is Uta no Prince-sama ♥! I know that's a little strange and random but it's just so heart warming, light and relaxing. So to go with my other Utapri items (music box, DVD collection, phone charms, keyrings), I thought I would buy a few more things. Starting with Masato on the left! I have nothing with Masa at all and I think he is such a great character in the anime, so I just had to have a little version of him on my keys! ♥ He was £5 I believe.

I got the most adorable little Syo! Look at his little cute face ♥ xxx He's supposed to be a keyring the same as Masa, but i'm a little scared to use him like that because of the ball/chain that's used, i'm scared it'll break. He has a tiny little body and a big bobble head attached with a link, which I think is so sweet! He was £7 from a random stall which I can't remember.

And finally I bought another Ren... ♥ I know I know, obsessed much? But how could you not buy him on a biscuit! It's adorable and such high quality, so I think i'll be keeping him on my phone case along with his other version. He was £6 from the Japan Centre stall. 

I actually didn't buy this G-Dragon bracelet! it was from the Kpop stand but my friend who is a huge fan of G-Dragon and Big Bang bought a pack of these and kindly gave me one !♥ I have no idea how much these are or where else you can buy them, but it's so cute and will even fit on my tiny wrist. 

Moving on to other London purchases! This was a present from my wonderful fiancé when we visited Camden Market on our second day in London. We found this adorable little stall that sold like 40 Alpacasso's, it was so cute, but this little bag caught my eye immediately. I've seen these on various Storenvy shops at ridiculous prices, but this little gem was only £10! xxx! Thank you sweetie for the amazing present ♥

This was probably my best purchase at the market. I bought this little bag to carry my digital camera around my neck more easily, and also because I spotted the Rilkkuma lanyard so I was sold... Well that's until I saw the price, £1 !!! I could not believe it, I should've bought a few but oh well... ♥ 

We went to the Japan Centre in Piccadilly Circus, which was a fantastic experience! There was so much food and so many different varieties of sweets and drinks. I spotted a Ramune a mile away when I was looking in the cooler cabinets and I had to buy the Pokemon edition, i've hand the drink so many times but this one was just all kinds of special! ♥ It was £1.40, and they have an online website which delivers so I will link that at the end of this post for you! xxx

My final purchase of my holiday was again found in Camden Market, there was the most adorable little Japanese/Korean clothing stall somewhere in the heart of the market and I was totally drawn to it. The man had such cute items for sale at low prices so I just had to buy something. I eventually settled on this heavy, silk and lace white dress, it has amazing floral detail all over the body and skirt which I love. The lace overlay also extends past the underskirt which gives a princess effect which I like a lot. This was such a bargain at £8! I almost couldn't believe it xxx ♥

I would highly recommend going to see Camden Market, and I would definitely say that you should try and go to Hyper Japan at some point! it's so much fun and I got to meet so many nice people! ♥

Japan Centre UK - https://www.japancentre.com/en

Thank you very much for reading my haul/review and I hope you stick around for more in the future 

ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ...

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Cutesy Kink Product Review #1 - Loppy Bunny Shoulder Bag in Pink

Konbanwa Minna-san! I'm sorry I've been on hiatus but now I am back and ready to go!! This weekend I will be attending HYPER JAPAN in London and I am super excited. To go on this trip I wanted to buy a bag I have been crushing on for months, and that is the Loppy Bunny back from Cutesy Kink! ♥

Oh My God... ♥ It's so cute!!! This item is basically half bag/half plush toy, which is absolutely amazing. The material is soft and fluffy, kind of like a child's blanket and the quality is actually very impressive with only a few loose threads that could easily be cut. 

The majority of this bag is the plush bunny face at the front, and there is a medium sized pouch at the back to put all your things. I can fit absolutely everything in here that was in my previous shoulder bag, which was actually a lot of things, so for me this bag was perfect and I didn't need to lose any items to make everything fit. 

The zip and bag straps are of medium quality, I feel like they could break if you weren't careful. However this is unlikely if you look after your things. 

I received my bag after 3-4 days by courier and I was also very impressed by the packaging as it kept my product safe.

Overall I think I made a wise investment with this bag and I hope it goes down well at HYPER JAPAN because i'm totally in love with it! I will leave the link below to where you can find it on Cutesy Kink's website, they're fantastic and I highly recommend buying from them based off of their customer service, product quality and prices ♥ 

Loppy Bunny Bag (£16) - http://www.cutesykink.co.uk/flippy-floppy-ears-pink-loppy-bunny-shoulder-bag/

Thank you very much for reading my review and I hope you stick around for more in the future 

ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ...

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Gothic Lolita Make Up Look Transformation! ♥

Konbanwa Minna-san! Today is a really short blog post about Gothic Lolita Make-up and I hope you all enjoy it, I really stepped out of my comfort zone for this look since i'm not very good with dark make-up looks. All links to the products I used will be below ♥

I finally put my Lolita wig to proper use. I bought this from Ebay and posted a review a while ago since I was so pleased. The blouse is from Yesstyle, I bought this around a year and a half ago so i'm unsure if it's still in stock. I'll find one similar and put the link below if anyone is interested. My Circle lenses are from a dear friend of mine Pastel Dreams Shoes and Accessories and they are Naty Swan - Pink ♥ 

For my eye make-up I done a basic smokey eye with a red-ish burgundy shade and a deep black to give more depth and edgy to my make-up, using the Like Angels palette from Make-Up Revolution & Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette. I layered a brighter metallic red on top of the burgundy to really make the lid colour pop. The eyeliner I used is Urban Decay's Ink for Eyes and it has been very winged out to create a dramatic cat eye, i've also formed a point in the inner corner to bring the whole look together. After this I lined my water line with a black eyeliner from MUA, added mascara from Rimmel and my accent lashes with beading from Bourjois ♥

For my face make-up I used Skin 79 Diamond Prestige BB Cream with L'Oreal's Studio Secrets Primer beneath it for a smooth finish. Since the make-up was pretty heavy under my eye I decided against concealer. My highlight is from MUA and it's the shade Gold and my blush is from Estee Lauder in Pink Ingenue ♥ 

Finally my lip colour is Black Metal Dahlia from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, the inner corners have been shaded in with my MUA black eyeliner to give them more definition ♥

Thank you very much for reading my tutorial and I hope you stick around for more in the future 

ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ...

• Yesstyle Blouse - http://www.yesstyle.co.uk/en/dabuwawa-peter-pan-collar-rosette-detail-blouse-white-xl/info.html/pid.1036627868
• Lolita Wig - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lolita-Fashion-Dark-Brown-Anime-Cosplay-Hair-Wig-With-Braid-Two-Curly-Ponytails-/111176400372?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19e2a13df4
• Pastel Dreams Circle Lenses - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/381253831621

• Rimmel London Argan Oil Waterproof Mascara - http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Eyes/Mascara/Wonder%27Full-Mascara-Waterproof-Black-1/p/412500#.VWOWtvlViko
• L'Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Primer - http://www.superdrug.com/L%27Oreal-Paris/L%27Oreal-Paris-Studio-Secrets-Smoothing-Primer/p/585912#.VWOWN_lViko
• Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123932023199_-1
• Revolution Like Angels Palette - http://www.superdrug.com/Makeup-Revolution/Makeup-Revolution-Eye-Shadow-Palette-Eyes-Like-Angels-16G/p/240305
• MUA Highlight in Gold - http://www.superdrug.com/MUA/MUA-Highlighting-Powder-Gold/p/212800#.VWOVX_lViko
• MUA Black Eyeliner - http://www.superdrug.com/MUA/MUA-Intense-Colour-Eyeliner-Jet-Black/p/233909#.VWOVxvlViko
• Urban Decay Ink For Eyes Eyeliner - http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123932033799_-1
• Estee Lauder Blush - http://www.esteelauder.com/product/639/21163/Product-Catalog/Makeup/Face/Blush/Pure-Color/Blush

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Primark Haul! #1 ♥

Hello guys! This is my very first Primark haul, which is rather surprising considering this store is like my second home. I'm not entirely sure how world wide Primark is? But I think they're possibly expanding into America or they already have... I have genuinely no idea, but you can possibly find something like these items on Ebay as well

 (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

The first item is this high neck cable bodycon dress, in a grey/black pebbled colour. I usually go for floating girly dresses, mostly with a skater style so this for me was definitely a big change... and I LOVE IT! Oh wow this looks amazing on and it fits perfectly. I would say that in Primark most of the clothing is true to size and this is one of them ♥ This is a very classy dress that is timeless (From my previous Sheinside haul you all know I love timeless dresses, something that will stay on trend is a definite money saver). This was a bargain at £6.00 and as usually I can't leave a link since Primark has no website o(╥﹏╥)o.

Probably the item I was most excited about, the dreaded kimono! I have wanted one of these for at least a year and a half, but I never found one that stood out enough from the rest. The fringe on the end with the pastel floral pattern is exactly what I wanted. the fabric is wonderfully light and airy. The kimono ends at my ankles so girls who are shorter than 4ft 10 might want to find a shorter version. This was £12.00 which completely baffled me since it looks far more expensive than it is, so this was easily the steal of the day ♥

I've been wanting a drop type necklace for some time now, but since i'm clumsy and forgetful I mostly only wear fashion jewelry except from my gran's ring and my engagement ring. So I found this little gem (literally) it's a heart shaped pendant with a small crystal on the drop of the necklace. It doesn't look obviously cheap which I like and I don't really mind if I lose it for £2.00.  

And lastly it's this set of three crystal chokers! ♥ They're in a peach, lilac and mint colour and absolutely adorable, perfect for any fairy kei or dolly look since they're really subtle. I like that I can mix and match with different outfits, but I kind of wish they had a few more sets with different colours... but hey! you can't have everything and £1.50 for three of them is a bargain anyway ♥

Thank you very much for reading my review and I hope you stick around for more in the future 

ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ...

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Sheinside Haul & Review #3

Konnichiwa Minna-san! ♥ Today I have the much awaited Sheinside Haul and Review. I bought these items around 4 weeks ago and they finally arrived yesterday. Sheinside have insisted they are trying to make their shipping faster as this length of wait can be an inconvenience for most.

Now onto the items!! The first item which was also the first in my basket is this amazing BIG BANG t-shirt  ♥. If you aren't into KPOP then you'll be a little confused, but Big Bang are my favourite KPOP Idol group (except from VIXX) so I of course had to own this t-shirt. The material is very soft and stretchy, I feel like this could fit a size 6-10 as it's a free size tshirt. The print is awesome and perfect for any hardcore KPOP fan ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ. Overall the quality is completely on point, it's a simple, easy to wear and comfortable item for not very much money. Bargain!

Super Harajuku and Kawaii!!! This is the ultimate harajuku style t-shirt, the graphics are a hirigana which I can't decipher and three onigiris, which are rice balls ♥ I noticed in my wardrobe that I don't own any black t-shirts so I decided to get an ultra kawaii one! It's free sized again but it's far more fitted than the Big Bang t shirt, I would say it could only fit a size 6-8 roughly, not very much room at all for anyone of a larger size. I adore this, it's high quality with not threads or damages, the graphic is vibrant and different which is what I wanted. Easily my favourite t-shirt at the moment (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧.

This is such an essential! I love classic timeless pieces of clothing and this is clearly one of them. I could never see this style going out of fashion to be honest, so for me this is an investment. The description says Pink, but I would say this is a beige/salmon colour. The dress is in a A-line style with a short cape that starts at the front and ends before the back zip. The fabric feels very high quality and the inside is lined with a silky/satin fabric which feels wonderful and luxurious to put on ♥. This dress is a big win for me, I feel like it works for any occasion both casual and formal and even for any season.  

This was my favourite item of the haul so I saved it for last! This is such an adorable mesh midi ballet skirt and it comes in two colours I believe, brown/peach and black/grey. I was skeptical about the quality of this skirt as previous reviews were very negative, after receiving my skirt I couldn't be happier and in all honesty I have no idea how anyone could hate it. It fits me perfectly as it has an elastic waist, and the length is around mid shin on my 4ft 10 frame. The material is light and airy for summer, but has winter/autumn colours so I feel this could work at any time of the year. I've not yet made an outfit for this skirt but i'm hoping to buy a silky brown tank top to compliment the under skirt.  I love everything about this skirt, it will be a staple clothing item for me now ♥

BIG BANG T-shirt (£5.51) - http://www.sheinside.com/White-Short-Sleeve-BIGBANG-Triangle-Print-T-Shirt-p-206042-cat-1738.html

Black Onigiri T-shirt (£6.20) - http://www.sheinside.com/Black-Short-Sleeve-Onigiri-Print-T-Shirt-p-203036-cat-1738.html

Pink Cape Dress (£14.03) - http://www.sheinside.com/Pink-Cape-Short-Sleeve-Slim-Dress-With-Belt-p-208520-cat-1727.html

Pink Ballet Skirt (£9.89) - http://www.sheinside.com/Pale-Pink-Elastic-Waist-Mesh-Flare-Skirt-p-206010-cat-1732.html

Thank you very much for reading my review and I hope you stick around for more in the future 

ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ...

 You can find updates on my posts from my Social Media pages:

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