My January & February purchases

Originally this was going to be a post on all of the Liz Lisa purchases I made in the past 2 months but unfortunately my haul package from Japan has not arrived yet.
Sadly this post will not include my recent haul because I chose to ship it via registered SAL...its almost been a month and the package is still not checked into customs yet.
But don't worry, I will be making a separate post on those items later along with my very 1st youtube video once it arrives! (You can check for the video HERE)

These are the items that have arrived, so they will have to do for now :)

Every year around New Years I look over my wish list and update it. Sometimes this means taking things out that no longer are of interest but usually it means scratching out some items I have obtained and adding more in its place. Well, this year I added a LOT more.
I actually created 2 wish lists; one that is urgent and one that contains items I'd like to buy but are not things I would buy unless they are super cheap.
I posted the updated list to my Instagram and got so many comments, some of which were from other Instagrammers who were looking to sell the exact items I wanted to buy!
Instantly I was able to cross off three items my wish list:

-2015 Liz Lisa princess boots (click HERE *coming soon* to view a post I dedicated to these boots)
-2011 Liz Lisa Peter Pan collared blouse
-2015 Liz Lisa Vintage floral collared blouse


I am so thankful to those who helped me obtain these! My goal for 2017 was to knock out only two of the items on my wish list and within hours I was able to complete my goal! (now to add new items to my list heh heh)









♡　♡　♡　♡ LIZ LISA PRINCESS BOOTS ♡　♡　♡　♡


One of my favorite Instagrammers had commented on my post, saying she was willing to sell these boots to me since she has had them for quite some time and only worn them once or twice! I jumped for joy, since I had been searching for SO LONG. The price was a bit more than what I was expecting, but considering how hard it is to find these in size L, I was able to put them on hold until my paycheck had gone through. I do not regret the money I had spent, since they are my new favorite boots and I have worn them everyday so far ♡ (really wish I was joking)




They were shipped with 2 day Priority shipping in a shoe box! I was actually surprised how perfectly they fit in the box, there was even room to fit all of the tissue paper and a little gift bag with a sparkly heart shaped ring and a thank you note :)



These boots are absolutely gorgeous! The lace detailing and rose engraving is TO DIE for~ I am seriously in love and searched religiously for these beauties for over a year! I cannot believe I own them now and I will be sure to give them lots of love. Before purchasing I knew that they had been worn by the previous owner and there were signs of wear on the bottom of the shoes, but the exterior of the actual boot was in near perfect condition minus a few minor dirt patches near the bottom. The inside of the boot is actually very clean, which is one thing I am very picky about when buying used shoes.

I only had two fears when purchasing these:

1- Were they going to be difficult to walk in?
2- Will my calves fit in them?

Surprisingly they are SUPER easy to walk in which is such a relief! When I opened the package and looked at the 4 inch platform heel, I was like "This is not going to be good..." but once I walked around in them, I realized that they are really easy to walk in and are actually a lot more comfortable than any other boots I own.

Now to the disappointing part...
my calves are TOO big to fit comfortably. I can get the boot almost the whole way up, but it takes a lot of pulling and grabbing to get them to go just above my knee. I know these are supposed to be over the knee boots, but they just barely go high enough to cover my knee caps. I think this is because the boot isn't going up as high as its supposed to because of my leg chub but its at the point where my calves are just not able to be compressed (lol) anymore.




----Price----: ♡♡♡
-Shipping--: ♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
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(only because they're tight on my calves *sobs*)









♡　♡　♡　♡ LIZ LISA PETER PAN COLLARED BLOUSE ♡　♡　♡　♡


This is the second item that I purchased from one of my fellow instagrammers! Although it wasnt a major ISO item, I believed it was one of the cutest blouses Liz Lisa ever made and I really need more blouses! The price she had suggested was AMAZING and international shipping from Poland was both cheap and fast! It arrived within a week and when I got it in the mail it was in the smallest package I had ever seen!



This package is about the size of my hand (which is almost child sized) and I just cannot believe how perfectly it fit in the packaging. I really appreciate when sellers try their best to minimize shipping costs by shipping the pieces in the smallest packaging possible.




This blouse is much more amazing in person than in photos! Its from Liz Lisa's 2011 summer collection and it is in great shape considering it is from an older collection. I knew it was sheer, but its actually perfect for wear in the summer with a nude bra or bralette underneath. The details are so intricate and I had not realized how beautiful this piece really was! Initially I was attracted to the frills on the collar and how big the bow is but now that I see it in person I am in love with how beautiful the double layered polkadot sleeves are.



This blouse is an off white color, so its great to pair with anything that has prints & patterns, or even solid colors! One of my favorite things about this blouse is that it is not tight fitting like most LL blouses. My bust is a 32B which is on the smaller side, and yet I find most of my blouses pulling at the buttons (cursed asians and their tiny chests) This blouse however has some room in the bust so I don't have to worry about any weird gaps between the buttons!


(In this outfit post Im just wearing a plain nude bra underneath and you can't even tell its sheer)


----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
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-Condition-: ♡♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
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♡　♡　♡　♡ LIZ LISA VINTAGE FLORAL COLLARED BLOUSE ♡　♡　♡　♡

This is the third item I was able to purchase from my wish list post (And the last item to arrive since it sat at my local post office for 3 days before being delivered)! I've been wanting this 2015 blouse for a while, I even tried purchasing it back when it was still available in the Shibuya 109 net shop, but it sold out too quickly and currently any secondhand listings I come across are sold within hours. I was so excited that I would have the chance to purchase this! I suggested the price, as I knew the price range on which it were selling for on Japanese Auctions. Typically listings for this blouse range from 2,500-4,000 yen, and that is IF you can get your hands on it before its gone. So I did a little calculation and sent her my offer, which she gladly accepted and shipped out the next day!


(I LOVE the cat sticker that was on the back!)

Oh boy I was really excited for this one when it arrived! I opened the package and I was so amazed at how cute it is! I'll admit, this blouse is borderline OTT for my style but its so unique I don't care what anyone has to say (plus I have the perfect jumper skirt to pair with it!)
The material is actually a bit different than I expected. It's a soft knit like material and not the typical silky blouse material. This would make sense as it's a winter item, but I was still pleasantly surprised!


(I think this blouse is one of the most unique blouses from LL)



I cannot wait to wear this!


----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
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♡　♡　♡　♡ LIZ LISA REPLICA POM POM BAG ♡　♡　♡　♡




I purchased this bag on Aliexpress for $28 including shipping, which is a great deal considering the authentic ones were priced at around $80 and there is no way I am spending that much on a purse. However, I would like to say that I am a bit disappointed in the seller. I purchased this on January 24th. I did not get it in my hands until March 2nd. Why? Even though the seller said they would ship my order in 3-5 days, they never shipped it. I had to contact them after a week and ask why my order hadn't been shipped. They said it was because of Chinese New Year (ok makes sense) but they had plenty of time (4 days actually) to ship it out before then.
It gets better.
After Chinese New Year (a little over a week later) they send me a message saying they were sold out of the beige color and wouldn't be getting it in stock until April, but I could just specify which other color I would like and they would ship out asap.
At this point, the price of the bag went up to $32. I knew that if I cancelled my order and waited on the beige color, I would have to pay that price instead of the $28 I originally paid. So I decided to just get the pink colorway.
As much as I really REALLY need a brown bag (All I have are pinks and whites) I kinda liked how the pink one looked and to be honest I was probably going to get both colors anyways.






So here is the bag. It looks pretty much exactly like the authentic one! The label at the bottom actually says Liz Lisa (most dont) and there are tags attached to make the bag seem authentic. I cannot believe how closely this bag resembles the authentic one (from looks atleast) and on top of that the quality isn't too bad!




The only obvious differences I can see are in the tags and labels, the print isnt the same as most LL tags and its either off centered or theyre trying to make it look like the bottom half of the tag was ripped like how it is when purchased in store, however there is no perforation at the bottom of the tag to indicate where it would have been "ripped" so it looks like the print was cut off. The LL label on the inside of the bag is all pink and sewed with white string, which is not how LL labels look at all. The only thing I would consider poor quality is the zipper on the inside of the bag (very stiff and you can tell the teeth are cheap plastic) and where the pom poms are sewed onto the ribbon on the outside.


(the seller did an excellent job with packaging and even added a pack of rose scented air freshener)

Shipping from China usually takes longer than shipping from Japan and I was quite surprised with how quickly this made it here! I think it was shipped with China EMS (whatever that means) and it took a little over 2 weeks.

Overall I'm very satisfied with the bag even though I couldnt get the color I wanted. I know that there are replicas being sold on storenvy for twice as much and the quality is really poor. If anyone is thinking of purchasing this bag, click HERE for the link.


----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
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(only because I couldn't get Beige)










♡　♡　♡　♡ LIZ LISA NUDE & DUSTY PINK BAG ♡　♡　♡　♡






As you know, I stalk secondhand apps and of course I had to come across something that I just couldn't pass by. I found this super adorable nude and dusty pink Liz Lisa 2-way bag on Poshmark. It was listed for ONLY $23. I asked the seller where it was purchased and she was able to tell me that she had bought it from Tokyo Otaku Mode. After *hopefully* confirming its authenticity I didn't think twice about hitting buy.
It was shipped in a priority mail box since Poshmark is only available for sellers in the US and has pre-paid shipping labels. There was no special packaging, the bag was simply placed inside the box and taped up. I was unsure as to how big the bag would be and its just the right size! The best part is, it is so clean it looks almost new! No dirt or scratches at all~





(It is actually quite spacious inside; it has 3 zippered compartments and a long detachable shoulder strap as well as handles)


This bag is another one of those neutral colored items that can go with anything, but I prefer to pair this bag with anything pink since it has the pink contrast trim. I know Im going to get a lot of use out of this bag, especially since I only have 3 or 4 bags that go well with my himekaji pieces.




----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Shipping--: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Packaging-: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Condition-: ♡♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
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♡　♡　♡　♡ LIZ LISA KNIT TOP ♡　♡　♡　♡


(I completely forgot to keep the packaging for this one...oops)

Like the bag above, I wasn't intending on purchasing this or any Liz Lisa items other than what was on my wish list. I was checking Ebay one day and saw this listing for $30 free shipping. In my mind I was like "I know I dont -need- this & its not on my wish list....but I could use more plain tops to wear with skirts" and thats how I reasoned this purchase.
I knew if I hesitated to purchase it would be gone. I meant to keep the packaging but it seems it had gotten thrown away (but thats ok because it was just a regular priority envelope with no special packaging)




This is my first time owning one of these ribbed style Liz Lisa tops and it is so much thicker than I had imagined! I own many ribbed knit long sleeve tops by American brands and believe me when I say it is nowhere near comparable. The quality of this top is so great, its a thick soft material with a lot of stretch. Its actually almost a loose fit because of how easy it is to stretch this fabric, which I like a lot. It doesn't feel like Im suffocating like I do when Im wearing American brand ribbed knits.

This top actually has a necklace attached to it! There are loops under the collar where you can detach the necklace. It has faux pearls and a velvet bow that matches the bows on the sleeves. I prefer to keep it attached, that way I don't loose it.

This piece is the perfect balance between simple and sweet. It goes best with busy patterned skirts that need something plain to balance it out, and the best part is its a neutral beige color! I think Im going to search for the other colors as well since I absolutely love this piece.






----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Shipping--: ♡♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
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♡　♡　♡　♡ UNBRANDED BLOUSE ♡　♡　♡　♡

This blouse literally only cost me around $10 with shipping included from the UK included so I was like "why not?" since I really needed blouses.


(The blouse itself was 5€ and my shipping options were 4€ letter, 7€ untracked parcel, 17€ insured parcel. I chose the letter mail as it was the cheapest and it arrived in a week! A little beat up, but the blouse was unharmed!)

AND I AM IN LOVE. Its a simple thin blouse. It may seem a bit cheaply made but hey, it's cute so it works. Plus its great for a more casual look since it doesnt have an abundance (or any) lace at all. Just a little crochet trim around the collar and a ruffle to the sleeves.



My favorite thing about this blouse other than its simplicity is probably the color. Its a beige color with the tiniest undertone of apricot(?) or peach. Whatever you want to call it, its so unique from most of the blouses I have seen. Liz Lisa usually only makes blouses in white, off white, and pink so I am definitely grateful for this color as it is refreshing to look at! Almost forgot to mention that the buttons are opalescent and I am a sucker for anything opal!

I think I may try to find a thin white ribbon to tie at the neck to match the crochet detailing! I think that may make this blouse even cuter!



----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Shipping--: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Packaging-: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Condition-: ♡♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
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♡　♡　♡　♡ LIZ LISA BROWN FLORAL WINTER DRESS ♡　♡　♡　♡


The same week I purchased the ribbed knit top, I found that one of my favorite sellers on Ebay had began listing new items. They had been inactive for months with no new uploads. All of a sudden, they uploaded around 15 new items and one of them was this dress from the 2010 winter collection. Liz Lisa dresses from the older collections are my favorite and I had actually never seen this dress before, so it caught my interesst! At the same time I was torn... Im not that big of a fan of brown dresses, but it was such a beautiful tan color with a pastel floral print and a fluffy collar I gave it a thought. Then another thought. It was $35 and I figured if it arrived and it really didn't suit me, I would sell it. I'm sure since I've never seen this dress before it must be pretty hard to come by and that means I'll most likely get the price I paid back.
When it arrived, I knew there was no way I could sell this dress!



This is what the package looks like. It was sent via Registered SAL parcel or "Fast cat post" as the seller calls it. I have purchase from this seller many times before and I always look forward to the adorable cat drawings all over the package! Their Ebay shop is called Takeshi-jpn-osk (click HERE to go to their store)
They are super reliable and ship same or next day, usually these packages arrive within 2 weeks. They are located in Japan and sell authentic secondhand Liz Lisa!


"Fast Cat Post"



(They left a cute little thank you note attached to the tissues)



What I love most about this seller (aside from the cats) is that they neatly package everything and even include bonus goodies every time! This time I got Little Twin Starts travel sized tissues :) The dress was neatly folded inside a resealable bag, and protected by two pieces of cardboard on the top and bottom.




I honestly love this dress so much. At first, I was worried that I wouldnt like the lace at the bottom because it appeared to be a darker shade of brown than the dress color. In person, its not so apparent and I actually love that the lace is brown, as it matches the lace that goes up the middle of the dress. This dress was described as "used/damaged" and I was aware of all damages before purchasing. When it arrived, there were a few pulls at the seams and fraying at the bottom of the ribbon but nothing major. Regardless, I love this dress to death and I am so glad I decided to purchase it!


----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Shipping--: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Packaging-: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Condition-: ♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
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♡　♡　♡　♡ LIZ LISA BROWN TOP AND PINK ONE PIECE DRESS ♡　♡　♡　♡



The only reason I purchased these two items is because I had a credit with Ageha Gyaru shop and they haven't posted in a while so I figured I should use my credits. The owner doesn't seem to be as active anymore and listed a handful of Liz Lisa pieces for sale ranging from $5-$20. These two pieces were extremely cheap, the top was $10 and the dress was $15. I saw the top on auction recently and thought I would really like it! Its a nice mocha color and the polka dot sheer sleeves seemed adorable. The one piece dress was super cute, and I had seen it go for a pretty decent price on other sites so I figured if I wanted to purchase one, now would be my chance.
These pieces arrived in a rose printed bag as all my previous Ageha Gyaru shop pieces have in the past. When I opened it, I was a bit shocked at how wrinkly the items were. (This didnt really upset me since the items were cheap and I figured they were probably either well loved or in storage for a long time)


(I really love the brown color but the sleeves are not only super baggy but really yellow as well)


(This top is from the 2012 collection)

The brown top is super soft and has the cutest detailing, however when I tried it on, I didnt know the sleeves poofed out right before the cuff at the bottom. I really enjoy how unique the color is but unfortunately it doesnt match any of the skirts I own :( Im not a fan of the sleeves either and I am unsure of whether Im going to keep this top or resell it later.



As for the dress, after a bit of ironing it looks so much better! The fabric is really thin, presumably from wear since the tag is really faded as well. This dress is SUPER short. Its acceptable, but the underlayer falls right where my booty cheek ends (sorry if thats graphic? haha) I have seen this dress a few other times and I really REALLY like the white color way. I think I'll definitely keep this dress but may be willing to trade for the white color way if I get the chance!


(I love the details of this dress! The buttons have little roses in them!)


(This dress is from the 2011 collection and as you can see the tag is pretty faded)

All in all, I got this package for super cheap (cheaper than Japanese auction + SS) so I cant complain but I think these were more "impulse buys" than things I really needed and wanted. These are probably my least 2 favorite items from January and February, but its Liz Lisa so I will cherish them with all my other beautiful children.


----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Shipping--: ♡♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
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♡　♡　♡　♡ BRIGITTE EYE LASHES ♡　♡　♡　♡




I'm not too big on the whole "false eyelash" trend but I really wanted to try out a pair for my first youtube video!
I was browsing through some listings on Ebay and came across these! They are the Romantic no. 3 "Innocent" and that description right there had me sold since innocent pretty much describes my style.
I wanted something that was still considerably "natural" but with a touch of volume. Just from looking at these lashes I can tell they are pretty decent quality even though I am not familiar with the brand.


(I can't really read any of this but thankfully the sticker on the back is in English and I can see that these are made from nylon)


(They look like they are made of really nice quality so I am pretty happy with how they look in the box!)

I will probably do a makeup test before filming, but for now stay posted for my youtube video to see how these darling lashes look on me~

----Price----: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Shipping--: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Packaging-: ♡♡♡♡♡
-Condition-: ♡♡♡♡♡
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OVERALL HAPPINESS
*I have not worn these yet so my rating will be posted later!



If you made it to the end, thank you for reading ♡ Check back soon for my haul video and blog post!

Liz Lisa: the Basics

Liz Lisa: the basics

What is Liz Lisa/sizing info

I see more and more people interested in Liz Lisa/ himekaji these days! It makes me so happy to have new members of this amazing community, but I often see people in doubt of purchasing Liz Lisa. Theres no need to be nervous, and Im hoping that by the end of this post you will be able to purchase Liz Lisa confidently without a doubt.
So lets get started!
(For future reference, if you see "LL" , this is just "Liz Lisa" shortened.)
First, Liz Lisa is a Japanese brand, so not only are the clothes designed/sold in Japan, they are also sized for Japanese women to wear. Most Japanese women fall between size XS-M, and LL & many other himekaji brands are one size, or free size (usually labeled as size "0" or "F" on tags)
A lot of LL has "shirring" or an elastic part in the waist that is very stretchy. This is what helps the garment stretch and become "one size".
Measurements are the best way to tell if a specific piece will fit, as some pieces have lots of shirring, others have just a tiny patch of shirring in the back, and some have no shirring.

(shirring of varying amounts shown on the back of two different LL skirts and on the back of a LL dress)

Always always ALWAYS check the measurements, or if youre buying secondhand, ask for measurements if you are unsure.
Not only are waist measurements important, but shoulder, bust and length measurements as well! I have noted that with replicas, the sizing tends to run smaller, or have less shirring, so if you are planning on purchasing a replica, it may fit different than the authentic piece.
I have created a chart below of my size recommendations for authentic pieces. These are not official "recommendations", these are just guidelines I have created based on my sizing/how the pieces fit on me and the actual measurements from my clothes.



(My recommendation: US size 00-7 could fit into Liz Lisa, possibly size 8/10 depending on the piece and how much stretch it has)


As for shoes, Liz Lisa has 4 sizes for shoes. S, M, L, and occasionally LL (double L)
Im a size US 7/7.5 and I fit perfectly into the size L size shoes. below is Liz Lisa's size guide for shoes:


(Taken from Tokyo Otaku mode, I believe measurements are taken in CM)


Where to buy Liz Lisa

Now for the next part of this post.
As we know, LL is a Japanese brand. If you are not located in Japan it is impossible to buy directly from tokyo kawaii life (Liz Lisa's official webshop) without a shopping service since they only ship within Japan. Unfortunately buying Liz Lisa is not as simple as buying from Forever 21 online :(
However, you can use a shopping service, which is a person or company that is located in Japan who will purchase these items for you and ship them to your country. They often take a commission fee (for their time) and/or a bank fee/percentage of the cost of goods. International shipping can be VERY expensive. Im located in the US and every time I use a shopping service to purchase goods, the shipping usually amounts to $20-30 alone.
This is the same with buying secondhand from Japanese auction sites. You will need a shopping service for those as well.
The only place you can buy brand new LL without a shopping service is from Tokyo Otaku Mode. They sell official authentic LL items from current collections and will ship worldwide. The only downfall is that there are rarely good sales.
The only other place to buy Liz Lisa is by searching apps and auction sites for used pieces, and often they can be bought for a decent price.
To conclude with this part of the post (and lead into the next) Liz Lisa and himakaji brands are not cheap.

Cost/general pricing

Liz Lisa is a designer brand. Each design is a work of art that someone has taken the time skill and imagination to create. Therefore just like any other expensive brand out there, replicas exist.
Some sellers will try to call these "factory over-runs" but usually this means its a replica. Liz Lisa has very specific tags and most of the time replicas are made as close to the original as possible, but for about half the price.
Soon, I will be making a post specifically about replicas and how to determine before and after purchase if your piece is a replica. I will link this here later~

Liz Lisa's prices generally range between:
4,000-5,000 yen for blouses
6,000-9,000 yen for sweaters
4000-7000 yen for skirts
5,000 - 10000 yen for dresses
12000 yen plus for coats/outerwear.

Ank Rouge tends to run about 1,000 yen more than Liz Lisa.
Other Himekaji brands range in price, but are generally about the same cost.
Axes femme is more "mori-style" meaning there will be less pastels, more neutrals/earth tones. Axes Femme generally is about 1,000-2,000 yen cheaper than Liz Lisa.
Just know that if you are more concerned about money than dressing yourself in brands you love, replicas are an option, as well as shopping for secondhand Liz Lisa pieces.
All of my himekaji/Liz Lisa items were purchased secondhand, most between 50-60% less than retail price.
If you are looking to buy LL and himekaji brands secondhand, click HERE to visit my previous post, a complete guide on where to purchase secondhand.

Liz Lisa Collections

The next part of this post has a lot to do with the previous part.
Liz Lisa produces its clothes based on year and collection. Each year and season, Liz Lisa comes out with new items. Once those items are sold out they are never going to be produced again. This is why LL items are in a sense exclusive and limited. You can even preorder pieces from the upcoming releases to guarantee you get one, the only downfall is that these items are full price. There are often sales that go on each season, some as much as 50% off! This is when a lot of people buy their most anticipated pieces. The only downfall is that a lot of the most popular items will sell out as soon as the sale is announced. Sometimes its a specific color way that is sold out, or with shoes, a specific size. Rarely does Liz Lisa restock items that are sold out. Once its sold out, the only hope to find them again is to search for them secondhand (or settle for a replica if there is one)
But if you miss out on an item, there will surely be more cute items in the next collection. There is a collection every season; Summer Spring Fall and Winter. Usually these have super adorable names for each collection. I think this Springs collection is either "Twinkle" or "Candy" (something like that...forgive me, I buy all my pieces secondhand wayyy after the collections sell out)
Its easy to tell what collection your piece is from by looking at the wash tag. There should be an item/serial number at the top. The first two numbers are the year and the third number is the collection its from.


(Tags shown are from two different dresses. The Tag to the left is from the year 2012 (12) and from the Summer/Spring (1) collection. The dress on the right is from the year 2011 (11) and from the Winter/Fall collection (2) This tag can be located inside the garment, usually on the bottom right side)

Every now and then you will get a tag that doesn't make sense. It is speculated that some of the older collections didn't have this number system in place. Replicas also have a tendency to have incorrect numbers or ones that dont make sense, however the one shown below is authentic.



(This tag says it was made in the year 2018 (18), which is impossible because I purchased this in 2014)


If you see an item you like from a blogger, dont hesitate to ask what collection its from and if they dont know, ask for a pic of the wash tag. Then you can tell what year/collection its from and start scouting secondhand sites for that item! The older it is the harder it will be to find. Same goes with items from the current year. They are hard to find secondhand because the demand for them is very high.



Signature Style



Liz Lisa usually has a theme with their release. Once it was constellations, another time it was fruit, this winters collection seemed to have a lot of pom poms! Often times, there is a specific print/pattern that has a theme (for example, the Hansel and Gretel skirt, or the Mermaid print dress) and those pieces tend to sell out super fast! There are even certain styles that are more than just ordinary clothes. Get familiar with the terms "sukupan" and "culottes" since those are very popular styles for bottoms. Sukupan literally means skirt pants. This is basically a skirt with safety shorts built inside. This is so helpful, especially on windy days. Not all skirts are sukupan style, however most are! Another popular term is culottes. This one isnt of Japanese origin, however Japanese culottes tend to look different from the rest of the worlds. As far as Liz Lisa goes, culottes are basically really baggy or pleated shorts (they actually go between your legs) but when worn the bagginess makes them look just like a skirt!)
Heres my most recent post featuring my Tralala culottes:

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Other than that, the only other term that may slightly be vague is "3-way bag" which is somewhat self explanatory. I do not own one, but these bags can be worn as a crossbody bag, hand bag, or mini backpack! This is made possible by multiple rings placed on the bag and straps that can be removed and moved to turn the bag into whichever style youd like! This is a very popular style of bag, infact I think most of Liz Lisa's larger bags are made this way now.
Not only are bags easy to style, Liz Lisa releases a lot of 2-piece's and set ups. These are usually a top and bottoms sold separately, but can be worn together as a matching pair. Below is a old picture of the only setup I own.
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There are also different color ways to most pieces. Usually there is only two or three color ways to each piece. The most common colors for Liz Lisa pieces are white, blue, pink, red (often called bordeaux), beige, and brown. Recently Liz Lisa has been making a lot of pale yellow and lilac color ways, which have become quite popular with Spring approaching.

Liz Lisa has a lot of collaborations with other brands or even famous pop stars. Liz Lisa's most popular collaboration is with "MY Melody" which can be known by the pink bunny character. The tags to these collaboration pieces usually say "Lizmelo"....literally Liz Lisa x My Melody! These pieces can be super hard to find and are generally more expensive than other Liz Lisa pieces.



Although Liz Lisa sticks to very similar shades and prints, they also have "sister brands" that are very similar but with a different style. Liz Lisa Doll tends to have all the lacey accents but with more contrast and featuring darker colors, usually black and pink plaids and polka dots. Tralala and Penderie are very similar to each other and are probably the closest things to Liz Lisa. They dont cost quite as much, but their designs tend to be a bit more simple. The brand JugETTA is also very close to Liz Lisa, with a more classy business feel to its designs. Although Ank Rouge isn't really considered a sister brand, it has a lot of pieces that go very well with any other himekaji pieces!




My Story

I first stumbled across Liz Lisa when I was searching for outfit ideas. It was late 2013 and I had just went off to college after graduating high school. My style was changing and I needed to look to bloggers/fashionistas for inspiration on what was fashionable to buy. I think I was using Lookbook at the time and came across one post of a girl wearing the cutest little lace skirt. I clicked on the brand to find that the search results consisted of pastels and florals... my weak spot! I noticed that there was a theme or feeling to each post consisting of a piece from Liz Lisa. There was a sense of innocence, empowerment and self-confidence in each of the posters photos. I knew that I wanted to be like them, I always felt that I wanted to be a part of something big and there seems to be a connection between all the posters who had been wearing these adorable pastel outfits. Thats when I started educating myself on the brand (and going to others for help) and eventually purchasing my own pieces and starting an Instagram to gather inspiration!
I was very hesitant to purchase my first Liz Lisa piece. In fact, I found the piece I wanted, and I literally stalked the Ebay listing every day for 3 months hoping nobody would purchase it. It was the white floral organza skirt from the 2013 collection. It was priced at $40 plus shipping from Japan, which would round out to be around $50. At the time, I couldnt reason spending $50 on a skirt that may not even fit. I sent the seller a message with my concern, asking for the max waist measurement and gave her my waist measurement for her opinion. Thats when she told me (in roughly translated Japanese) that it would not fit me.
I was so sad, as I have slight body image issues. My measurements are 32/28/38 so Im larger in certain areas and smaller in other areas. I wanted to dress in a himekaji style soooo badly but I had no determination after I felt like nothing was ever going to fit, just because the seller said I couldnt 😢
I gave up on the skirt and instead, bought a Liz Lisa brown floral top that I found for only $12. It was being shipped from Japan so it was going to take a while to arrive. Meanwhile, I was searching secondhand apps (in this case, Poshmark) for clothes and found the Liz Lisa organza skirt I was obsessed with on Ebay, only in the pink colorway...for only $22!!!!! I instantly purchased it, hoping that it would fit.
Since the skirt was from a US seller, it arrived in 2 days so I consider it my first Liz Lisa purchase (not the floral top that hadnt arrived yet.)
The skirt fit perfectly! It was hard to get over my hips, but once I got it up over the booty, it fit like a glove! The shirring in the back was nice and stretchy~ from then on, I purchased Liz Lisa without hesitation. I have only come across 2 himekaji pieces that did not fit. The first was a pair of LL suspender shorts that had no shirring, and second, an Ank Rouge skirt/shorts that is way too small in the waist even though it has shirring)

Here is a recent post featuring my first Liz Lisa piece! This is the Pink organza skirt I purchased years ago :)




I hope you enjoyed this really long post! I think I have now covered most of the basics to buying Liz Lisa!
Im currently working on a post on how to differentiate between authentic and replica.
Then I plan on posting about how to start a successful Instagram/blog and a few tips Ive learned along the way!
After those posts I plan on starting a youtube channel and start posting about how to coordinate outfits/how to achieve different looks!
Let me know what you guys think!
If you'd like to contact me or if you have any more questions, feel free to send me a message on instagram!

Buying Secondhand Liz Lisa

My Instagram has been gaining in popularity recently, and I am getting more and more messages from people who want to know where and how I buy my clothes.

The simple answer is: everywhere.

This means Apps, Auction sites, Facebook communities, even other Instagram accounts.
If you're looking to buy Liz Lisa, the biggest question is, "will the seller ship to my country" and the answer will depend on where you are buying from.

I like to categorize the sites and apps I use:

The first category is the "Japanese Auction" category.

This includes Yahoo Auctions, Mbok, and Fril.
These are Japanese based auction sites, meaning they only ship within Japan and you will need to use a shopping service in order to ship the items to you. These auction sites are FILLED with hundreds of pages of Liz Lisa and the point of a shopping service is to have someone from Japan buy the items for you, and ship them out to your country.I recommend using Chibi Tenshi's shopping service, since I have had great experiences with her!

The second Category I like to call "Worldwide"

I call this group "Worldwide" because you can buy pieces from sellers all around the world. There are three places to buy worldwide. Depop, Facebook, and Ebay.
If you use the App "Depop" it is up to the seller whether or not they will ship internationally. Most of the time, they will be willing to ship worldwide as long as the buyer accepts a higher shipping fee. That means there are sellers from the US, UK, Germany, Japan, China, Canada, etc. so it is possible to find a seller within your own country.
Much like Depop, Facebook Sales communities offer a wide range of sellers from all over the world. Often times sellers upload a whole album of clothing they are selling, so you can get some great bundle deals and save on shipping.
Lastly, you can find Liz Lisa and himekaji pieces on Ebay.

The third group is what I call "US apps"

This category includes Poshmark, Vinted and Mercari. These Apps only allow US sellers to sell to US buyers. I think its in the rules when you sign up. This is because these apps offer their own shipping labels. This ensures that the item is tracked, and the app knows exactly when the package is delivered. If you are a US buyer, be sure to check those out! Vinted and Mercari are App only, but you can easily shop on Poshmark from your laptop/computer.


Now, if you like to adventure on your own, go right ahead and explore.
If you'd like a more in-depth explanation on how I use each site/app, you may continue reading :)


Japanese Auctions
Yahoo Auctions
Mbok
Fril
Worldwide
Depop
Facebook
Ebay
US Apps
Poshmark
Vinted
Mercari


Yahoo Auctions:

To put it simply, this is the Japanese Ebay. The site is in Japanese, but your browser should automatically translate the page to English or whatever your native language is. I use Google Chrome so it translates automatically, but I think if your browser doesn't, you can easily right click and there should be an option to translate.
Here's what Yahoo Auctions homepage looks like:



When you come to this site, you will notice that there is a banner at the top (or bottom) for Buyee. Buyee is a verified shopping service that will allow you to bid on items within Yahoo Auctions and will ship them to you. You could also use an outside shopping service, such as Chibi Tenshi's Shopping Service.
The difference between Buyee and Chibi Tenshi is that Buyee allows you to bid on the items yourself, where Chibi Tenshi would bid for you.
If you're using Chibi Tenshi's service, you will send her the url link to the items page along with your maximum bid. She even buys from Mbok and Fril as well, so if you would want to buy multiple items from different auction sites she will be willing to wait until all items arrive and ship them to you all together.
Please keep in mind that both Buyee and Chibi Teshi are shopping services. They charge service fees so it is best to calculate the total charge beforehand. Calculators and Estimators can be found on both of their pages.
I recommend Chibi Tenshi's shopping service. To be fair, it's the only shopping service I have used, but it went smoothly. It's very personal and I feel confident, as I would rather trust someone who has had experience bidding on Japanese auction sites as opposed to bidding myself. She also speaks Japanese, so she can give you a better translation than your internet browser!
If you're leaning more towards Buyee, it is best to browse the listings on Yahoo Auctions through Buyee's website. This way you can favorite and keep track of listings, plus you are in complete control of biding.
Heres What Buyee's homepage looks like:



To the right you will see "Register". Here you can sign up with your paypal/credit card, and everything after that is as simple as bidding on Ebay or any other auction site you may be familiar with. At the top left you will see "Auction", if you click there, you will be able to search listings from Yahoo Auctions. Once you search for an item and find one you like, you can Add it to your watchlist (may be a star icon) and be able to easily go back to that item later.



(^This is what an items page looks like. You can see the "Add to Watchlist" option to the right)

Now, if you would like to purchase from Mbok, you will also need a shopping service to purchase. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mbok charges a monthly fee to use, so you cant sign up or even purchase without paying the fee. This is what Mbok should look like:


You can search for LIZ LISA or other brands in the search bar, and categories should appear on the left. Since you cannot "favorite" or save the item for later, it is best to bookmark the items page in your browser or copy and paste the link to a word document so you can find them later and send them to your shopping service.

This is the same with FRIL. FRIL's homepage should look like this:



FRIL is essentially the same a mbok, however there are a lot more items for buy as opposed to auction. This is nice because the asking price is upfront, and you never have to worry about bidding competition. I believe FRIL also has an app, which could be convenient for browsing on the go. Once again, save the links to the items you want and send it to your shopping service for purchase.


Now for the Worldwide category, you will not need a shopping service.

First, lets start with the app Depop. Depop is simple. You download the app, create an account, and start liking items. I think the apps primary language is english, but as long as you have a basic understanding you should be fine. The most important features of this app are at the bottom.

To the left you have your feed or "home". This will show the items currently being listed from the shops you're following. This will be in chronological order, so the newest listed items will appear at the top of the timeline. This is a good place to check up on, as you can see what your favorite sellers just listed. If you just signed up, you may need to search for some shops to follow. When you sign up, I believe Depop automatically makes you follow some shops, just to get you started. I didn't care for any of the sellers I had on my follow list, so I had unfollowed them before searching for any new followers. You can do this by taping the profile icon on the bottom right. Then go to "my depop shop" and you should see two circles, one saying followers and the other following. You will want to tap the number and when you get to the list, unfollow all the shops.
Now, to find shops, I decided to search for items and then check out the sellers shop to see if I like most of the items they are listing. To do that, go to the Explore icon at the bottom. This will lead you to the featured items page and a search bar at the top.

I searched LIZ LISA and decided to start there. Click on the picture of one of the items you like, and you will see the sellers name at the top. Click on their name/image view their profile/shop. If you like what they are selling, it's probably a good idea to follow them. Another advantage to following other people on depop is that you will get to see what items they like. I find a good portion of new items from what other people like. You can find that by going to the activity section. This will also show what items they have purchased, as well as what they have sold. Sometimes it's good to follow people who dont sell. You will get familiar with the usernames on depop, and you will see the same person over and over commenting on different items. If you think you have common interests, follow them and see what they like.
To find international items, search the item you want, and keep scrolling until you get to the bottom, and it should say, "Search the rest of the world" and if you tap that, it will show you all the listings from sellers in other countries.
To see if they ship internationally, one quick way to look is to tap the buy button on the item you like (no this will not automatically commit you to buying) and see what is listed under international shipping. If it says no, that means they may not ship overseas. However , usually if you message the seller, saying you understand that international shipping is expensive and you are willing to pay the higher shipping, they will usually come up with a shipping cost for you. Most of the sellers I ask agree to ship internationally. If their profile says "ships only in the UK/US/(insert country)" then most likely they are not willing to go through the trouble of posting internationally.
If under the buy icon international postage has a number like $99,999 (or some unreasonable number) then usually that means to contact them for an international shipping quote:



Pretty simple :)
A lot of users on depop accept offers and holds, which is also an advantage to Japanese auction sites because you can communicate directly with the seller.
If you want to buy something, the first step is to check whether or not the buy button at the bottom of an item is green or black. If it is green, auto buy is on and you are free to purchase. If the item has been listed for a long time, say over 4 weeks, it is safest to comment first and ask if it is still available. Like any other closet app, sellers abandon their pages and leave their items listed for a long time. You can also check their profile to see if they have listed any other items recently. Be sure to check feedback first, as buyers will be pretty honest. If you feel safe purchasing the item, go for it! It is probably best to pay with paypal, that way if there is a problem with the order and depop doesn't help you, Paypal will back you up.
I have never had a problem on Depop, but I hear their response time is quick and they seem to handle disputes pretty well.
If the Buy button is black, that means the seller does not have auto buy on. You will need to message the seller and ask them to turn on instant buy for you.
Depop is pretty reliable and you can find a lot of unique items on here. Be careful, as sometimes items will sell fast if its a good deal or hard to find :)
If you follow a lot of himekaji enthusiasts on Instagram, a lot of users have a depop listed in their profile.

The second Worldwide option is Facebook sales communities.

Here are a few I have joined:
GYARU SALE INTERNATIONAL:
GYARU SALE
Worldwide LIZ LISA Sales Community

These pages are private groups where other Facebook members list their clothes for sale.　Please note that these are closed groups, which means if you would like to be a part of the community, you must hit the "join group" button and usually someone will accept you in to the group. ** edit: some of these groups may have recently become public, which means anyone can sell and buy.
If it is a worldwide community, the members offer international shipping options. Prices will be listed along with photos. Shipping quotes may also be stated, but if not, comment and ask. If the seller doesn't respond in a few hours and the listing is getting popular, sometimes privately messaging that Facebook user is a great way to ensure your message was seen.
If you and the seller come to terms and you agree to purchase the item, payment is through paypal. Sellers will usually ask for your paypal address and send you an invoice. NEVER agree to pay through f&f (paypal friends and family) as once you send the money, there is no refund or help with a damaged/not arrived item. Always pay through Paypal goods and services (if they invoice you, it is considered a goods and services transaction) and they are required to update shipping information with a tracking number. This way, if the items does not arrive and the seller cannot provide proof of shipment, paypal will side with you and give you the refund. As a rule of thumb, I always ask sellers to send me an invoice rather than me send them a payment. Although its possible to send payment under goods and services directly to the seller, I like to make sure my seller knows right off the bat that I am not willing to pay through f&f by asking them to send me an invoice and I will pay once I receive it.
Many sellers on the facebook communities provide feedback, whether it be from livejournal or ebay. This helps in creating a reputation and determining whether or not the seller is trustable.
I have purchased from Facebook many times and have never come across an issue. If a seller (or buyer) is scamming others, the Facebook group has the right to remove them from the group.

If youre looking for any specific sellers, check out Ageha Gyaru Shop! Here you can find many Gyaru/Liz Lisa/himekaji pieces for sale at unbeatable prices. International shipping is also available. Use my code: AMARIE for 5% off!!!!


The last of the worldwide category is Ebay.
Most people have some experience with Ebay so I will make this section short. Search for the item you are looking for in the search bar and you will find all the most relevant results. If you're a shopaholic like me and you search "Liz Lisa" daily, you can search for the "newly listed" items by clicking on the drop down menu (may be to the right) and select it from the search options.
This will make the newest listings appear at the top.
One of the hardest things to do on Ebay is to tell whether or not the item is authentic. People usually take a bit longer to respond, so if the description and photos seem shady or lacking, it is probably a replica. It's always possible to ask for more photos, or even to ask where the seller had purchased it from, just know that it may take a while for the seller to reply if they dont check their notifications often. Most reputable sellers respond within the same day. Others may take 2-3 business days to respond.
The number one rule is: Do NOT buy from China.
When you scroll down below the item description, you will see the sellers location (right side is mobile):



Theres nothing wrong with Chinese sellers on Ebay, but if you care about the authenticity of the piece it is best to stay away from those shops. Even if they say the item is authentic, it is probably not. A lot of Chinese wholesalers trick people into buying unauthentic pieces, and they usually have a bulk amount of that same item to sell. I'm sure there are some sellers in China that have authentic collections and are trying to clean out their closet, but it's very risky. If the only photo in the listing is a stock photo, it is most likely not authentic. If the tags are shown and the seller is willing to upload proof of authenticity (wash tag, receipts, emails of purchase) then it may not be a dupe.
Be very cautions with any sellers, not just the ones in China. There are a lot of people from all parts of the world who list their items as authentic simply because they do not know if it is a replica or not. If you are worried about purchasing a replica, Ebay is probably not the best place to buy. However I frequently purchase from Ebay and I would like to say that I have only two pieces that are questionably replicas. (post coming soon on how to pick out a replica)
If you would like more instruction on how to bid, visit my older blog post: All's Fair in Love and Liz Lisa

Lastly, the US apps category.
These apps are only available in the United States. This is because postage is predetermined by weight and parcels only ship within the US by pre-printed shipping labels. This makes these apps very safe and secure. A lot of sellers on these apps sell their items for cheap, often times they do not know the true value of Liz Lisa clothes and you can find some pretty lucky finds (I certainly have!)
Most closet apps are the same, so I will not be giving detailed instructions on how to navigate these individually. The best way to find out is to just download them and give them a try. ^__-
(These apps also work very similar to Depop)


I would hope this very (very) long blog post helped clear up some of the misunderstandings about how to shop for used Liz Lisa. Yes, it would be wonderful to buy straight from the source, but some of us just cant afford to do that. I fully support secondhand shopping, and I encourage it as it gives others a chance to love the clothes others once had loved.....now I'm starting to make this depressing, but you get the point. Liz Lisa and himekaji is for everyone. It doesn't matter if you have a low budget, somewhere out there you will find the perfect piece for you. I have bought Liz Lisa for as low as $10 (shipping included) so believe me, it's possible!