Q-Con #1 Cosplay

19th - 21st June marked my third and most fun Q-Con to date!

So last April I fell in love with the anime No Game No Life and am STILL waiting to hear about when season two is going to be a thing. Back in May I went to MCM Belfast with some friends and David bought Sora's top so we decided that we would do a No Game No Life cosplay at Q-Con!

Today I'm going to share the experience of putting together a cosplay in around a month and where we got out bits and pieces.

Wigs

First stop for wigs is good old eBay! I wasn't loving any of the wigs designed to be for Shiro because I didn't think the colour was right. Shiro's hair is funny - it seems to be different colours in different media and lighting. Colour matching was the hardest thing with the anime being so colourful.

I bought this wig from the seller com2shop. This was the kind of color I thought would be the most suitable. I was pretty pleased with what I received.

Sadly David's wig shopping experience wasn't as smooth...

He thought it would be easier to get a wig that was specifically for Sora. He bought one very much like this. When we got it, it was completely flat and rather bright.

O____O

So we definitely couldn't use this and realised that shopping for wigs that were made for the character was a bad idea so we had a nosy for wigs that matched the colour we thought his hair should be.

Another fab wig, courtesy of com2shop!

Make-up Testing

The hardest part for me was getting a pale enough foundation >< 

 

I glued by eyebrows down and tried my best to cover them with concealer and foundation before filling them back out with a steel blue and silvery grey eyeshadow.

Here I also exaggerated my eyes using eyeliner and white eyeshadow to extend the whites of my eyes to make them look bigger. 

On David I just tried my best to cover his 5 o'clock shadow using concealer, foundation and then more concealer on top. Sora's eye bags wer drawn in using bronzer first then brown eye shadow with a bit of purple and plum for depth.

The outfits!

I wanted to sew mine but because of the lack of time, I got mine from eBay!

The quality was fine but I didn't wear the extra white sleeves because the elastic wasn't great for arm circulation ^^'  I also got some navy thigh high socks on eBay and just cheated and put on some black flats.

 David got his top at MCM and the rest of the outfit was made up of things he already had except the wristband which is also from eBay.

Pre-Con selfie!

I styled the wigs on the morning by backcombing, shaping and holding using hairspray.

I also ditched the exaggerated eye make-up for a more natural look. 

Photos from Q-Con

Thank you to everyone who took photos for us!

We discovered another Shiro!

 

Photo on the right and below from Andrew Adams Show

Possibly my favourite photo from Saturday - thank you Andrew Adams!

David and I had a great day and a lot of fun cosplaying and met some lovely people! Thank you for everyone who stopped to say hi and thank you all for your lovely compliments! We're both really glad people liked our first cosplay together ^^ 

Stay tuned for Q-Con #2 for shopping and Lolita!

International Loli Day

International Lolita Day is here again!!

There was only two us in the end - just Isla and myself which was A-OK too! We went to Yo Sushi! for lunch while saving space for some dessert at Treat Boutique.

Me and Isla in Treat Boutique. I like how we both turned up in shades of blue xD

After that we had a nosy in Lidl and I returned with strawberries and chocolate glazed ring donuts. Mmmm!!

And finally, an outfit rundown.

Beret - eBay [bow is from Meta]

Cardigan - Bodyline

JSK - Metamorphose

OTKs - Primark

Shoes - Primark [decorations are handmade]

This must be my comfiest co-ord to date <3

2D Food

Shokugeki no Soma is my favourite anime this season and every episode is a total foodgasm! I was really excited by the Chaliapin Steak don when I saw the characters' reactions to the dish so despite not liking beef I just HAD to cook it and try it for myself!

From the manga

From the anime:

My dinner:

Sadly I didn't have a big enough bowl so mine's not a 'don' but I cooked the steak the same way as Soma-kun, I even used super cheap steak! [Tesco's easy cook steak because I really do know nothing about steak] 

The only other changes are:

* plain boiled rice

* chicken stock and a splash of vodka instead of red wine

This was VERY yummy! Despite not liking beef, I really, really enjoyed this dish! While the steak was yummy, it was the onions and sauce that really made it a great dish for me. It's not a lie, it really does make you keep shoveling and it really is a bit sad when you're finished because the flavours leave you wanting more. I will definitely be making this again!

Truly Outrageous

I saw the trailer for Jem and the Holograms. Nope. I was super excited when I first heard about this being a thing but I was very disappointed. This is NOT what I wanted :<

I think I'll stick to the cartoon series thank you because this is truly outrageous in the worst possible way. Show's over Synergy. 

The Middle of Nowhere

Today Sharon took me out to Riverdale Barn to set up  wedding and when she told me it was in the middle of nowhere, she wasn't exaggerating!



Isn't it just the most beautiful place? I forgive the fact that I couldn't get any signal all day! We were there pretty much all day and I was really shocked that Sharon would usually do something like this by herself. It was really interesting to see it all come together and made me realise how big a job it can be but it was definitely worth it because it looked amazing!

To begin with I helped assemble all the lanterns which Joe then hung to the beams of the ceiling.

A totally scrummy Sweetie Cart! Pouring all the sweets into jars was a real challenge, they were SO tempting!!!

I really love the bride's centre pieces, the little Lego people are such a cute and fun touch!

Hope you had an amazing day Dawn!!!

Claire Pettibone

I'm not getting married anytime soon but I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about a dress, especially now that I'm interning in the bridal industry. 

I always thought I'd want to get married in a very Princessy dress. You know the one, sweetheart neckline, in at the waist with a full tulle skirt!

When I interned for Lizzie Agnew my favour turned towards shorter dresses - ideally knee length, sweetheart neckline and embellished lace overlays.

Through Inspire Magazine I discovered Claire Pettibone and my dream dress!!

Claire Pettibone's Ceylon dress is so beautiful and simple! What a dramatic change eh? 

But I'm a short girl so taking the skirt up to the knee and puffing it out with a light A line petticoat is the dream! *__*

After Midnight

On 17th April I launched a Facebook page for my little business. Please follow the link to see the things I've made and works in progress. 

[Click here]

Where did this come from?

Since wearing Lolita fashion I've found myself making hair accessories to go finish off my outfits. First it was just little bow clips and then it moved onto headbands.

  

At the same time as developing my own collection utilizing things learnt from interning in the bridal industry, I enjoy taking commissions since I never know what the next thing will be and I love a challenge! At the moment my work is very Lolita orientated but I look forward to expanding and creating things to cater to anyone who wants a special handmade piece. Having worked in bridal, I would like to create some pieces that are a bit daintier for brides, bridesmaid and even flower girls.

What kinds of things do we make now?

Here are a few commissions. The possibilities are endless and and I will be happy to make you something as long as I have sufficient time and I can get the materials needed!

 

How much do you charge?

That varies depending on what it is you'd like. Flower or bow clips start from £3 - £5 each depending on size and if I already have them in stock. Bow headbands start from £10 and floral headbands start from £20 depending on the design and the types of flowers and embellishments used. 

Lastly, Why 'After Midnight'?

Because that is why I feel most lively and creative! Most nights you'll find me working away with an old anime on in the background for 'company' or doodling up design ideas! I also like to watch things late at night while I make petals since that can take a while even though I don't need to be too focused. Game of Thrones and sewing goes surprisingly well!