Kawaii-B All About: Kawaii Fashion! What is What? Who is Who?

Photo Credit: tokyofashion.com

When we talk about Kawaii fashion, what do we actually mean? With more and more young women here in the UK getting into this new and exciting subculture from Japan, it's not surprising that there is a lot for us to learn about it, and where it comes from. So let's look at a little of its history before diving into the amazing world of Kawaii fashion.

Cute donuts on sale in Japan. Photo Credit: kokatu.com

Kawaii (roughly translated into the word "cute" in Japanese) is far more than a fashion subculture, and can now be considered a worldwide craze that enchants thousands of girls all over the globe with its cute character icons and fun, bright, or even crazy strains of fashion. In Japan, Kawaii is not just a cute way of dressing, but a deep set part of culture that effects entertainment, food, toys and even every day mannerisms. It is thought that the concept of Kawaii evolved from the harmony-loving part of Japans heritage. With the words "cool", "groovy", "acceptable", "desirable", "charming" "non-threatening", and "innocence" all being secondary meanings of the word Kawaii. In Japan, even women in their 30's still strive to look cute, whereas in the West, we are discouraged from this because we believe it suggests immaturity. In Japan however, this youthful innocence is something people love, with young female pop groups, maid cafes, Anime and Lolita fashion splashed all over popular media, it's no wonder we are all taking a leaf out of Japans book of cuteness!

So how has this translated to the UK? Well, in many ways; including anime being aired on our televisions, cuter snacks, Kawaii stores opening online to supply cute Japanese products, Pokemon, and of course Hello Killy. But none are expanding as quickly as the love of Kawaii fashion with teens and young women here in the UK.

When we say Kawaii fashion, it covers a whole range of cute styles and interpretations, the most popular being Lolita, Sweet Lolita, Fairy Kei, Pop Kei, Decora and Spank!. Each of these styles is unique, and yet most people would never know the differences between them! But, speaking generally, Kawaii fashion can mean any style that focuses on a cute look, often consisting mainly of shades of pink, blue, purple and yellow. Kawaii outfits also commonly feature cute characters like bunnies, bears, or cats and also prints or accessories featuring food like ice creams, biscuits or candy. Bolder styles can include large graphic prints and neon colours, as well as large accessories and in your face make up.

But, the easiest way to help you get a grasp on the forever growing world of Kawaii fashion, here is a brief outline of the most popular style types.

Lolita

Example of a Lolita Photo Credit:laurabububun

 Lolita fashion takes its image from Victorian times, with maid/A line style dresses, bows and lace. There are many different types of Lolita fashion from Traditional, to Gothic. To read more detail about Lolita fashions click here (link added soon).

Sweet Lolita

 

Example of a Sweet Lolita Photo Credit: Princess-Peachie

Sweet Lolita is a basically a "girlier" version of the classic Lolita look. Instead of darker coloured dresses and accessories, Sweet Lolitas wear mainly pastel pinks blues and purples, often with more lace and accessories too. To read more detail about Lolita fashions click here (link added soon).

Fairy Kei

Example of Fairy Kei or "Fairies" Photo Credit:Thesushitimes

Fairy Kei is a look that consists of  pastel colours (pinks blues and purples) and has an almost "fluffy" appearance with often poofy skirts and wooly sweaters. When styling fairy kei outfits think of the words "soft" and "sweet" and you'll do just fine. To read more detail on Fairy Kei Click Here (link added soon)

Pop Kei

Many girls often merge Pop Kei and Fairy kei together, and for this reason can sometimes be hard to tell apart. Pop Kei is usually associated with looks that contain darker or more neon colours, and are perhaps a little less girly then Fairy Kei looks. Pop Kei outfits contain more denim, graphic prints and polka-dots, and also feature 80's pop aspects of style. Brighter Pop Kei wearers often include neon garments, accessories similar to decora and more make up. To read more detail on Pop Kei Click Here

Spank!

Spank! is actually a brand, but its huge popularity means it has become a style in itself. It consists of often vintage and used clothing of similar styles to Pop and Fairy Kei but featuring images like Care Bears, My Little Pony or even characters like Power Rangers. To read more detail on Spank! Click Here (link added soon)

Decora Kei

Example of Decora fashion Photo Credit:TokyoFashion.com

Decora Kei is easier to tell apart, and the name says it all. Decora is all about decorating yourself with big, bright accessories. This can even means plushies on your head, or large plastic motifs and icons. Colours have a feel of 80's neon pop, and outfits are often garish and in your face. Usually, Decora involves large amounts of all types of accessories, and is one of the most creative styles in Kawaii fashion. To read more detail on Decora Kei Click Here

So, there are just a few of the interesting styles that all fall under the umbrella of Kawaii fashion. In this article I have focused mainly on Japanese style that associate the closest with Kawaii Culture and cuteness, but there are many other Japanese styles that are lots of fun, a few being Gyaru, Party Kei, Visual Kei, Mori-girl and Shironuri.

For the close, this article should have taught you everything you need to know about the main styles of Kawaii fashion so that now you can enjoy them just like so many other girls in the UK are today!

**please note, in detail articles about particular styles are currently being written, links will be added soon**

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Review Time: Rara's Jewels

Today I have a review for you from the America based webstore called "Rara's jewels". Their Etsy store makes it easy enough to buy from. They sell Kawaii and creepy cute hand-made accessories that could suit many different Kawaii styles with pastel bone hairclips, Alpaca necklaces and custom made Decora phone cases. Today i'm reviewing a few items I got for Christmas from them. 

All the products came in a little separate bag inside a bigger one (As pictured above)

Included was a small bag of free goodies! A free box of Nerds, A cute business card and a cute little note. 

The paper was cute and the note was really sweet

The business card with a really creepy cute/ paper picture! 

The products! 

Cross Ring: 

The ring has an adjustable strap on the back with a cute, sparkly, pink cross front. The ring on the back is really sturdy. 

Bone hairclips

While in the daylight they are cute, white sparkly bone hairclips however at night they glow in the dark! Below is a picture that shows them glowing in the dark 

Sparkly heart bat necklace:

This necklace is available in pink, purple, white and blue. Both sides is sparkly and is really cute with the sparkles and heart in the middle. 
And for my favorite thing from Rara's jewels...

 Shooting star clip/broach: 

On the back is a hairclip and a broach so you can either wear it in your hair, on a bag or on your clothes. 

Price/ Shipping: 

The Price is good, especially for the quality and design. And i'm not sure for shipping as I got it for Christmas so I don't know the delivery length. 

Quality/ Design

All the products are really good quality with adorable designs. 

Customer service

From what I saw the owner is really friendly especially to include the note and free box of Nerds.

 Click here to go to the store. 

♡Bye, hope the review was helpful ♡

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Review Time: Sugar trampoline

I'm finally able to present to you a review of a really cute shop run by fellow blogger, the lovely Teacake Time machine. Her store is based within the UK and is full to the brim with cute home made goodies. She too is part of the Kawaii-B UK Project, so look out for posts and updates from her and the other girls!
I purchased the Flower Ribbon Pink Canotier from her, and I fell in love with this product as soon as I saw it. I did have to internally wrestle with myself between both of these items but I decided on the berrette due to its cute yet elegant feel.
product: 5/5 - I truly love this so much, I try to put it with everything I wear these days, and the fact she turned it into a broach for me meant I can co-ordinate it better.
Here is a link to the sugar trampoline Facebook page: Here
Review summary!Shipping: N/A -Because I collected this product at a meet, so I cannot comment personally on the shipping.
Over all: I really love this store, I'm so lucky to personally know the lovely store owner and I can't wait to buy more from her in the future!
Here is a link to the sugar trampoline Store: Here
Thank you so much for reading this review!
This is Pastel Ophelia signing off, Bye guys!

Anyway, here is the super cute packaging!

  

 

Here is the super cute Business card,
although my door is dull, the card really makes it look more cute.

Here are some pictures of it worn (sorry for the derping)

Also you can the sugar trampoline stall at the Reading vintage fair from 12-5 on the 2nd of march 2014. If anyone is lucky enough to be in the area at the time you should definitely check it out. I hope I'll be lucky enough to go visit her stall and buy some more goodies from her.

Review Time: Roxie sweetheart

Roxie sweetheart is an adorable UK based store which is vibrant and unique. This store can cater

from cyber goths to sweet Lolita's, its style range is as wide as the store's contents.

I've really loved and admired this store for years now, even before I was interested in j-fashion. Roxie sweetheart is a creative and cute store which continues to make individual and quality pieces with a kawaii twist.

I brought from her last year and straight away I wanted to review her products , so despite the long wait I've finally got round to reviewing these adorable items!
product: 5/5 - The quality of these items in amazing, and the little heart with the stores name on still impresses me to this day. I've almost had these for a year now, I've taken them across this country, and abroad on many occasions and I've still not got a single scratch or dent in either products (and I'm not careful with items).
Price: 4/5 - The price is a little steep to just randomly buy in my opinion, but you pay for what you get, a beautiful and good quality product, just not something I could afford everyday but everyone should definitely at least but something from this store.
Over all: Its a shame you couldn't all see the original bag she gave me, not only were both items beautifully wrapped, they were also in a cute striped pink bag with a free Roxie sweetheart badge and with the A5 card With the stores mascot. The whole store is absolutely amazing and is a inspiration for all who love cute and kawaii things!

 (Sadly I don't know the name of this necklace and it appears to be sold out on the store, though they have many similar beautiful necklaces!)

 Roxie girl ring (£4) Buy it here

(I also received a free Roxie girl badge with my purchase)

 Here are both the items on me,

even though they don't match one another they're so adorable!

Review summary!Shipping: N/A -I brought these items at the London mcm expo so there was no shipping fee.

You can visit the Roxie Sweeheart facebook page here

You can visit her online store here

You can visit her BlogSpot here

Previous review: Sugar Trampoline

Thank you all so much for checking out this review!

Pastel Ophelia signing off!

9 Fun Meet Up Themes

 Photo credit:ParfaitDoll

Sometimes, a meet up can get quite boring if you're doing the same thing over and over - tea rooms & sushi are nice but sometimes you can get tired of them! Here at Kawaii-B we have composed a list of fun themes for meet ups; you can even theme your co-ords around them if you're feeling a bit uninspired.

1) Video games (e.g. Pokemon, Mario, Animal Crossing). Why not spend the day in an arcade playing fun games with your friends? You could make a lolita-inspired Princess Peach or dress in a Ouji style Mario outfit!

2) Circus. Most places will have some form of circus nearby, and it would be fun to have a meet there! Prints such as Starry Night Theatre could really work for a circus meet.

3) Animals. There are a lot of animal prints out there so this would be very easy! You could spend the day at a zoo, a farm, or a petting zoo, looking at all the super cute animals! Some lolitas from the UK actually had a meet where they walked alpacas - how fun does that sound? ♥

4) Toys. On our last meet, we took a trip to a teddy bear shop where they sold fancy, expensive teddy bears! You could wear teddy bear themed co-ords, with dresses like Innocent World's Night Bear or Bodyline's Balloon Bears and spend all your money on ridiculously priced bears - or for the younger at heart, maybe a trip to Build a Bear. *u*

5) Museums. Depending on where you go, your co-ords could ave many themes. Toys, royalty, military, animals.. The list is endless. A converted castle would be fabulous for a lolita meet - great for classical and gothic. Of course, it would be a fun place for a photo shoot too!

6)  50s. Prints like Fantastic Dolly or Drained Cherry would be super cute to make a 50s theme co-ord! ♪ You could go to a cute American diner or a ice cream parlour and stuff your face with some delicious food. ♥

7) Fun fairs. Day Dream Carnival and Sugary Carnival could be a hit here, especially with the ever popular  carousel rides that are at most fairs and theme parks. Magical Etoile would also be super sweet! ☆彡 

8) Alice in Wonderland. This one is quite an easy theme, but to make things more difficult and inspire those attending to be more creative, you could say no one is allowed to actually be Alice! You could either wear one of the many AiW prints or make a co-ord inspired by a character like the cheshire cat. This would be a great time to visit a strange tourist attraction in your town, like fancy gardens or mini cities so you really feel like you've travelled to a far away, crazy place! ♪

9) Aquarium. This would be the perfect occasion to wear AP's Melty Mermaid, or Krad Lanrete's Auralia print! Sea life centre, anyone?!

Photo credit: Krad Lanrete

That brings me to the end of our list today, however, we should hopefully have a few more up soon! I hope you enjoyed this article & thank you for visiting Kawaii-B! ♥☆♪ 
♥Lauren

Kawaii-B ~ All About: Circle Lenses

Who can resist a pair of big, dewy eyes? And who wouldn't want eyes the colour of pop candy?

The use of circle lenses means all of your dreams can become a reality as far as your eyes are concerned; whether you want eyes like an anime girl, or a glare like the devil. But most wearers of these fashion lenses don't use lenses for any other reason... so what's the lowdown on these cool accessories from the East?

What are Circle Lenses?

"The circle contact lens, also known as a big eye contact lens and circle lens, is a cosmetic contact lens that makes the eye's iris appear larger. "a The trend became popular first in Japan, then spread to South Korea and China. Circle Lenses are now largely produced in these countries, and can be purchased all over the world. In Japan, you will find circle lenses appear in many magazines, as they are considered as a “Must factor” when it comes to make up. Models like Tsubasa and Super star Ayumi Hamasaki are circle lens wearers, and are famous for wearing bright circle lenses to make sure that their eyes sparkle in music videos.

What's the difference between Circle Lenses and ordinary Contact Lenses?

The diameter of  regular contact lenses are usually 14mm–16mm. Circle lens are usually no more than 15mm (diameter) since larger sizes would be harmful to the eyes with daily wear. When the diameter of the circle lens is described as 16mm or 18mm, this simply means the visual effect of the circle lens.

The main difference between the two types of lenses is that circle lens are not only tinted in areas that cover the iris (like usual contacts), but also in the extra-wide outer rim of the lens.  The result is the appearance of a bigger, wider iris that creates an illusion of larger, cuter eyes. The optical zone in the middle is transparent to provide clear vision. When big eye contacts first launched, they were only available in yearly disposable format, but as the trend spread, these lenses are now available as dailies, biweeklies and monthlies.

Circle lenses are also famous in its design and colorful selection where most of the common contact lenses are limited to 2-3 color per design, while circle lenses could have up to 8 colors per design.

Staying safe when choosing Circle Lenses

As with all contact lenses, you should be careful where you purchase them from. Here in the UK (and also in the USA), Circle lenses aren't sold ordinarily in stores, because they are not approved by our health and saftey standards agencies. This means they are only available to people by going online.

Make sure all your lenses are sourced from reputable manufacturers like GEO Medical, EOS, G&G, Dueba, Vassen and etc from South Korea. Any manufacturer should be able to prove they offer safe products through certification.

The main concern other than product quality is the size of circle lenses. Because they are usually quite large, it means less oxygen is able to get to your eye. Because of this it is advised that you never wear circle lenses for longer than 8 hours a day.

GEO Medical lenses are particularly good, as customers can check the authenticity of the lenses through the Geo Anti-Fake system, to make sure you’re buying authentic lenses. GEO Medical being the top manufacturer of circle lenses; enjoys the highest trust of Eastern as well as European customers, and it is the only manufacturer that has managed to qualify for USFDA certification. 

Using circle lenses is just like using ordinary contact lenses, and you should always follow the instructions you are provided with when purchasing. Remember to keep your eyes hydrated throughout the day and never wear them over night. Keep your lenses clean and moist as instructed by the manufacturer when you aren't wearing them. Also, only use circle lenses for as long as they are in date. Circle lenses don't last forever, and when they dry up, using them can damage the surface of your eyes. 

Toric/Astigmatism lenses?

Lenses for those with Astigmatism are available, but as with all other Circle Lenses, be sure to check where they have come from, and the authenticity of your product. Reading reviews and comments from customers is always a good habit when it comes to circle lenses for prescription too.

Final Tips for Buying Circle Lenses?

Circle lenses are lots of fun, and thousands of women enjoy wearing them in the UK but make sure to;

• Check the quality of your lenses. Make sure they are authentic. You only have one pair of eyes!

• If you have any issues with your sight, or the health of your eyes and you are not sure about using circle lenses, ask your optition.

• Always follow the correct procedure for putting in and removing your lenses, as well as caring for them.

• Search online for reviews - it's great way to find the best lenses for you!

• Don't try to find the cheapest lenses, remember - you get what you pay for! 

Trusted Suppliers

PinkyParadise is so far the most reputable supplier of Circle lenses purchased in the UK. But remember to still check the manufacturor of the lenses you buy. PinkyParadise offer authentic GEO lenses, as well as a free contact lens case too.

Another great supplier is I-dollsUK, they are small UK based supplier who only take orders through their facebook page, who have great reviews, good prices and short shipping time.

You can also order GEO leneses direct from http://www.geocolouredlenses.com/

If you have any questions on Circle lenses, or indeed anything concerning Kawaii, make sure to suggest it to us for an article! Lastly, have fun, be safe and enjoy using Circle Lenses

And thank you for visiting Kawaii-B Uk!

Useful links:

Wear and Care Guides:

 http://www.pinkyparadise.com/new-user-a/251.htm

http://www.pinkyparadise.com/wear-and-care-a/250.htm

http://geocontactlens.net/insertion-of-lenses/

http://geocontactlens.net/caring-for-lens-and-lens-case/

Saftey:

http://www.reddit.com/r/beauty/comments/1fhbpp/how_safe_a_circle_lenses/

Trusted Supplier:

http://www.pinkyparadise.com/Geo-Medical-s/1853.htm

References:

http://www.uniqso.com/how-safe-is-it-to-wear-circle-lenses

http://www.pinkyparadise.com/new-user-a/251.htm

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