Circle Lens Review: EOS New Adult Green Circle Lens

Hello~~

Recently, I stumbled across a circle lens site called loveshoppingholics.   I saw the wide range of colors they had--and I really liked them, so I ordered a pair of EOS New Adult Green Circle Lens from the site and when they arrived, I was so excited!  I then went to try them on, and the bright green color really showed in my eyes!  They were just so beautiful--and unlike a pair of circle lens I tried in the past--they were so comfortable to wear also!  When I posted pictures of myself wearing them for the first time--I've already had a friend wondering where she can get them--and I recommended her the same pair that I ordered!

I'm careful when buying circle lens because some circle lens can't show color on dark eyes--but loveshoppingholics' did--and that made me a super happy customer!

I highly recommend anyone who's looking for circle lens showing in dark eyes--to try loveshoppingholics!

Love,

Yoko~

Hello Again!

Recently, Aoi and I went to attend this past Fall/Winter NorCal Gathering as casual Allen Walker and Lena Lee from "D Gray Man"~

Credit to fanpop

Ever since then, we have been re-marathoning the old anime series--partly because we plan on cosplaying from it for a future upcoming anime/cosplay event!

Love,

Yoko~~

More pictures from the Cosplay Proposal!

Us with our Leafa~

I thought I should share a few more pictures with you all from the SacAnime Cosplay Proposal c:

Love,

Yoko~~

Con Report: SacAnime Summer 2015

Guess what, readers?

Aoi and I are now engaged!  My boyfriend proposed to me at the rose garden near the convention center of downtown Sacramento.

We were cosplaying Wedding Asuna & Kirito from Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragments (the video game).

Photo credit to Arielle Ludwig.

Photo credit to Arielle Ludwig.

Aoi had gathered many of our friends together for this surprise special event in the rose garden, and another close friend of ours led me there almost blindly.  A lot of people took pictures/recorded the event and so, when there are more pictures, I'll be spamming this blog with them c:

SacAnime 2015 was really fun for me this year!  I had the best roommates and there was little to no drama at all c: The only sad thing is that I didn't get to explore the convention center this time because I was 'ghosting' the con with my boyfriend, but what mattered to me even more is simply seeing familiar faces and friends whom I haven't seen for months because, well, cosplayers tend to make friends who live miles and miles apart from each other.

Many con-goers were really nice!  I noticed that there was a large number of Steven Universe cosplayers as well as Love Live!

The only down-sides were, well, the food places were really full of con-goers and there were lines going down the sidewalks for the closest places.  Either that or they run out of specific food items--but I understand that things just happen.  The weather was also much, much warmer than I had thought when I was wearing the dress with my Kirito, and so, that caused us to change out sooner than expected, unfortunately.  

Other that, overall, our con experience was drama-free and really relaxing! Definitely coming back for SacWinter next year!

Love,

Yoko~~

Cosplay WIP: SAO - Hollow Fragments Cosplay

Last night, I worked on my Wedding Asuna cosplay--adding some pretty flowers to it!

Right now, all I have to do is dye some lace and add them to the dress--add some champagne/nude lace to the choker and hair clip--and decorate the extra long gloves.  So, I'm at about 95% done overall~

Matching Wedding Purse!

Last night, I decided to give making a matching wedding purse one more try--since I failed so many times >^< ~~

I decided to use a more simpler approach, then, sewed on matching ruffles with the self-made champagne bias tape.  Then, lastly, I hand-sewn the faux pearl-beaded lace trim at the very top all around the purse before finally adding in the velcro (inside the purse).

Now that I've made the matching wedding purse to go with my wedding cosplay, I have something I can put things inside--and it matches!--while Aoi and I go around the con.

Hope that you're enjoying the progress of my costume-making!

Love,

Yoko~~

Cosplay 101: How to Start Off and End a Convention Hotel Stay

So, of course, when you're going off to attend an out-of-town convention, you and your friends will need a place to stay at!

When you've all unloaded and brought in your bags and luggages into the hotel room, you know that you each have to claim an area or corner where you'd have to put your stuff at.

Is this going to be your first time?

Please, please don't make the same mistakes I did when I started off cosplaying at out-of-town anime conventions >^< ~~

But don't worry!

I'll tell you how:

1.  Claim a corner or area where you can haul in your bags and luggages--and stick to it.

Make sure your stuff won't be in the way of people walking in or around the hotel room though!  Always try to keep it clean before and after you dig in for your things, so your roommates won't trip or injure themselves during the con.  Also, make sure to close and zip off your bags and luggages to prevent anything from spilling out or losing anything.

2.  Try to avoid drinking water bottles that were set there by the hotel staff or anything.

Unless it's specifically said to be "free."  You'd be charged with the costs if it doesn't say so.

3.  Be gentle with everything in the hotel room!

Unless you want to be hit with more costs.  Just don't break or rip anything, please.

4.  Always try to keep the overall room clean.

It's important to always try to keep the hotel room clean, and if you can't, have everyone clean up altogether at least once or twice throughout the con.  This will prevent things from being lost and will lessen the stress you'll have when you can't find that mascara you brought in or the eyeliner you just bought recently.  Believe me, this will help make your con stay less stressful and more clean!

5.  On the first day, set up a rule that when you invite friends or strangers over, make sure to inform everyone else--or just don't bring anyone at all.

The more, the merrier, right?

Well, unfortunately, that's not the way with most people.  Personally, my friends and I try to avoid bringing over people we just met into our hotel room.  During my first and second  year of attending cons, I've lost many, many makeup items because friends would invite strangers into the room without telling any of us and have them borrow my things and other people's stuff--without asking the original owner.  Please be well aware that although it's great that you've met and made new friends, the thing is--you just met them and you'll be held responsible for anything that goes missing afterward.

6.  Make sure that there is a place to sleep for everyone.  EVERY ONE.

It's my pet peeve when the majority thinks it's okay for one or two people to--not have a place to sleep.  That's not okay!  How'd you feel if you don't have a place to sleep?  It's uncomfortable--and it'll make them grouchy the next day--and probably cause con-drama.  Always remember that if you're a true friend, try to make sure everyone has a bed or some sort.

Good sleep means rest--and having rest for a con means having a good time and having money well-spent on the hotel.

What helps make this situation better is that a friend of mine brings a set of air-beds/mattresses with her to the con when we room together.  This increases the chances of everyone (usually about 6 of us or more) having a place to sleep on.  Also, try to bring extra pillows or blankets when you can because you never know when there's not enough to go around.

7.  Try to help each other when you can.  It's all about teamwork!

Is your roommate/friend having trouble with their false eyelashes?

If you're a pro at putting them on, help your friend out!  It never hurts!

Helping each other out when you're all getting ready for the con is an experience that brings each other closer than ever before, and with all good experiences--that means making good memories about your stay there!  Not only that, you all will get ready faster!

8.  If you're tired or anything but ready for the con, take breaks by retreating to your hotel room.

No, seriously.  This helps on so many levels for me and my friends throughout so many conventions! Whenever there is a time where you're exhausted or stressed out or want to just sit on something comfy like a bed--go back to your hotel room and rest or take a nap.  Just let your group know or give someone a heads-up before doing so to prevent search parties!

9.  To make everything more fun, plan get-togethers!

Whether you have friends are staying at another hotel or maybe it's just your group,  take a break from the con once in a while--and get something to eat together!  This adds more fun and helps make more good memories for everyone while also, making sure the entire group is well-fed and hydrated!

10.  When checking out of the hotel room, put everything back the way it was before you came in.

Clean up your messes--put back that ironing board--and make the bed.  Remember, you're not just con-goers or cosplayers.  You're representing your cosplay community and want to leave a good lasting impression on the hotel staff when they check on your room even if you're leaving.  Put back everything back the way it was before you came in.  It'll make things easier for the maids when they come in to clean up for the next guest.


And so, I hope that you find this very helpful for your next con hotel stay!


Sincerely,

Yoko ~~

Our Shingeki no Sexy! cosplay shoot

Sasha Braus (left, me) and Mikasa Ackerman (right, Neeka Cosplay).
Photo credit to AnimeCraft Entertainment.

Photo credit to AnimeCraft Entertainment.

All of these pictures were taken at SacAnime (Summer/SacSummer) about 2 years ago (September, 2013), with a friend of mine, Neeka Cosplay.  It was pretty hot, I remembered, wearing these long-sleeved faux leather jackets--but they were really well-made by my boyfriend, Aoi Dove Cosplay.

At the time, none of the local stores had matching boots that even closely resembled
SNK's boots.  Photo credit to AnimeCraft Entertainment.

Cosplayers: Eren Jaeger (Aoi Dove Cosplay), Mikasa Ackerman (Neeka Cosplay),
and Sasha Braus (YOKO Cosplay).
Photo credit to AnimeCraft Entertainment.

I tried to act natural when modeling, and I think that's a good key element there when posing.  But try to exaggerate--and go with it, naturally.  To this day, I do my best to do both of that.

Both Aoi and I plan to do more SNK cosplays in the future.  But for now, we're waiting for the 2nd season of the Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) anime.

Hope that you enjoy the pictures!

Love, 

Yoko~

Sailor Moon Fashion Dress in Progress!

Just gotta add more to the bow.

Hello, readers~ Remember the sketch from my previous post?  I've gotten pretty far with it last night and currently taking a break from it today.  But it's coming together pretty well!  There may be small changes to it in the end but so far, looking close to the picture!

I'm thinking of wearing it to an anime/cosplay-related event in the future when I don't feel like cosplaying or perhaps, at a con on the last day or Day 0 when we pick up our badges.

I have long hair, so I may put it up in high pigtails or attempt to make buns-buns with them!

Making the top wasn't so hard--since I used a dress as a reference to trace the shape from.  It's made out of white georgette silk, a yard sample that I got online when looking for good materials for my Asuna wedding dress.

As for the bow, I cut it out of the red fabric that was supposed to be for a cosplay that I haven't gotten into making.

Anyway, here's my progress work so far:

I just need to also work on the third layer of the skirt part.

Not completely sewn together yet because I still need
to work on the bow and skirt parts.

I hope that you enjoyed viewing the pictures!

Thank you,

Yoko~

Cosplay 101: Things that Every Beginner Needs to Know When Making Cosplay

When I first started getting into Cosplay, I had SO MANY questions--and my friends who introduced me to the hobby--well, they couldn't answer or didn't know how to answer them at all.  So, I was completely clueless and had no idea what I was doing except that I was going to cosplay so-and-so for my first anime convention.  I had no sewing skills.  And I had no answers at the time.

I didn't even know where to go to if I needed help or if there cosplayers online who can even help me out.

And so, I've decided to put together a list of things that every beginner should know before getting seriously involved in Cosplay:

1.  Start with a costume that works with your sewing/craft level.  

No, seriously.

If you have basic sewing skills, you can start out with cosplays such as Kingdom Hearts' Namine or school uniforms.  Or you can go shopping for similar-looking clothes and alter/make changes to them to fit the character you want to cosplay.

It's also great if you have friends who are more skilled or have expert craftsmanship--but do make sure to credit them for helping you out.  It's bad rep for you if you go around, taking 100% credit for everything if they went out of their way to help make the costume with you.

I was fortunate enough to have my dad help me out, him being a retired tailor, so I cut out the pre-made costume pattern while he did the sewing.  I always made sure to let people know when they ask--that he helped me make the cosplay.

Or you can buy or commission a cosplay online.  When you commission a cosplay from someone, always know that you are paying for both the materials and labor work they've put into the outfit.  Always make sure to read every line of the contract and remember them well.  There will be commissioners who won't do refunds and some will do partial.  It's a reminder to you that if you want a commission, make sure that you are in this for 100%--or just don't.

Buying a cosplay online means purchasing the whole outfit or outfit and accessories.  Always make sure to compare prices from various websites or sellers and read reviews before making a purchase.

Kisa Sohma cosplay from 'Fruits Basket.'
Winter of 2012.

2. Have reference images of the character you want to cosplay.

Always make sure to have lots of reference pictures of the character from all different angles--and they have to be reliable and if you can, all official images from the video games/cartoon/anime/etc.  

You'll need it when you go fabric shopping as you'll want to compare fabric colors to the images or to make guesses on how heavy or light the fabric could be, according to how it's worn by the model.  This makes it easier to also identify what kind of fabric you may want to buy for your costume.

My friends and I find that having a sketchbook comes in handy as well.  When we gather all of our reference image together, we sketch out our characters on paper--front view and back view.

3.  Have someone with you when you do fabric/cosplay shopping.

Try to have a family member, friend, or someone close accompany you when you go shopping for fabric.  Ask them for their opinions when you find something that matches the character's outfit or fabric, whether it involves which of the two swatches of color-fabric is a closer match to the character's shirt or asking them if the billowing skirt could be cotton or something else.  Pay attention to details, and it'll really help!

Also, buy costume patterns!  Buy the ones that closely resemble your cosplay if you're planning to make one from scratch.  For example: You want to make a Japanese school girl uniform, so you purchase a costume pattern for sailor-style shirts and pleated skirts.

4.  Keep a calendar and time in mind.

When you're working on cosplay, try to prioritize which part of the costume you need to work on first and next.  If the con is taking place in four months, then, do the shopping as soon as possible--and make a schedule.  Time is especially important for you if you were to order or commission a cosplay from someone--or if you're going to make the cosplay from scratch.

Current cosplay in progress work.

For example: If you need to make the school uniform shirt, spend the first week of January to cut out the pattern pieces you bought or draft it out (if you know how)--and cutting out fabric.  The second week can be used to put the fabric pieces together (sewn or run through a sewing machine).

5.  Take breaks!

It's great to work on your cosplay all day and all night to get it done in time for the convention, but for your own health and safety, do make sure to take breaks.  Use the restroom, eat, take a short nap, stretch and walk around for a bit...

It's all right to take breaks!

I once had a friend who dozed off when he was running a cosplay through a sewing machine--and he hurt his hand!  So, never work with a sewing machine if you're sleepy!

6.  Add some fun into cosplay-making!

Invite your cosplay buddies over to your house or plan a sleepover party where you all help each other in making costumes.  Put on some music to help concentrate--or put on the anime/cartoon series that you all are cosplaying from to boost motivation (if you are cosplaying from these two genres)!  Talk, sing, whatever it is to keep the fun in--and to motivate you all to make the best cosplays you can crank out!

7.  Make sure to wash and clean your cosplay wigs.

8.  Be careful with cosplays--and present yourself well!

Before the con starts--and you're all in your hotel room--make sure to iron that pleated skirt, uniform shirt, the jacket--whatever that needs to be ironed--make sure it's ironed and clean.  Treat it as your precious baby--because it is ;u;  Good cosplay presentation makes a huge difference!

Make sure everything is in place.  Make sure those zippers are up and closed.  Make sure that wig sits well on your head.

9.  And one last thing: Have tons of fun at the convention!


I hope that you all find this helpful, and I also wish those of you who are looking forward into making your own cosplays lots of fun! Be safe!  And always remember: Hyrdrate yourself, eat, take restroom breaks, keep good hygiene, and have good sleep (or try to)!


Sincerely,

Yoko~

'Tales of' Cosplay gathering at Fanime.
I cosplayed Anise Tatlin (right, pink).
Fanime of 2013.

More costume-making work!

The 8 cosplays in 1 selfie meme! If interested, please check out my
Facebook page!

I'm going to work on a couple of cosplays later on in the evening.  For the first time, I have to work on a Victorian-era inspired school uniform shirt and also, I'd need to make a vest to go with the shirt.  Then, there's a cropped jacket I have to make for another costume.  From my weekend trip with the boyfriend, I had my whole line-up figured out for the Sacramento anime convention--and after several group discussions at the sleepover party, the majority of my friends agreed to perform a skit for the con's masquerade.  Although it would've been great if we could aim for the craftsmanship category, most of us didn't take many pictures of our works in progress for the judges to look at--and well, that just sucks.

I look forward to see if we could come up with any ideas that everyone would agree on what we should do as a group, but then again, there's also time--rehearsals--travel--and recording for the audio to be used for the skit performance.  Chop, chop, chop!  I did propose a cute idea of us singing a parody song for the skit--but my brother opposed the idea because he hated the show in where the song had come from.

Your friend,

Yoko~

My Past Costume Works, Part II

Hello Readers!

I'll be continuing off from a previous post in which I was describing my past costume work starting from 2011.

As I have left off--2013 and 2014 marked huge changes for me.  I learned how to make proper ballgowns, worked with lolita clothes (below image), more complicated fantasy outfits, and so on forth, including accessories such as hats and making stuffed animals.  I have never, NEVER ever made any of these things in my entire life--and I've run into some "catty" cosplayers--well, bullies--who discouraged my progress--but I showed them.

I showed them that I could push past my limits--and tried anyway.

And I did it.

Me cosplaying as Anna Kushina from K Project (being lifted up
by my brother), with my Rikio and Misaki.  Photo credit to
BlizzardTerrak Photography.  2013.

Anna with her Neko-chan.  Photo credit to BlizzardTerrak
Photography.

Shingeki no Kyojin (Shingeki no Sexy! ver.)  Photo credit to
AnimeCraft Entertainment.  2014.
Jacket and straps not made by me.

Photo credit to AnimeCraft Entertainment.

Photo credit to Animecrafts Entertainment.

Blazblue character cast (maid cafe ver.) Photo credit to Harrison's
Anime Photography.  2014.

Me cosplaying Noel Vermillion (right) from Blazblue, with my Makoto.
Photo credit to Crown Werkz Studio.  2014.

And now, I'm working on what seems to be the most ambitious costume project so far--a wedding dress of ruffles and laces, decorated by roses and appliqués, and so on forth.  

I'm almost done with it.  

There are cosplay events that are quickly approaching--and I'll be wearing it for those dates and hopefully, get pictures of my dress--with my "groom," who is my boyfriend.

Thank you for viewing the pictures!

Current Projects of Costume-making

Hello, readers!

I got done, with my recycled skirt from a previous post.  I decided to make some last-minute changes to it, which was different from the original planned-out design--adding lace overall straps to the skirt.

Other than that, as of right now, I'm currently working on two costumes: a wedding dress ballgown from the anime, Sword Art Online, and an outfit from God Eater, a PSP game--turned to an anime recently.

Wedding dress costume in-progress.  Sorry for the poor quality.

Sword Art Online's heroine, Asuna, in a wedding dress.
Image source to www.cute-pop.com

Alisha Illinichina Amiella from God Eater.  Photo source to senpaigamer.com

I'm taking my time with the costumes right now and when I'm able to start on Alisa's gun weapon prop--of course, it's gonna take a lot of work and dedication into building it.  I've already made the plaid skirt, the overall straps, and last night, I got done cutting out Worbla pieces for the metal hooks.  Tomorrow, I'll be using a heat-gun to mold the plastic--and hopefully, things will work out! //crosses fingers//

Image source to godeater.wikia.com

And here's a random picture of our (boyfriend and mine) cat, Kilala:

I hope that you enjoyed looking through the pictures of my progress work c:  and I hope that you'll be here next time to see more work of mine in the future as well!