Showing posts with label sailor moon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sailor moon. Show all posts

Monday, January 6, 2014

Sailor Moon Miracle Romance Shining Moon Powder Compact REVIEW

So it's been a long time since I've done an item review but now that I have better equipment, I can actually do them again!  I'm going to re-do my Yuna and Kairi necklace ones with better pictures... and actually do my Serah pendant one but for the time being, Sailor Moon!

Last summer, the Premium Bandai website announced that they were going to release a special line of Sailor Moon cosmetic items aimed at those who grew up with the original 90s show (aka women).  This line started out with cosmetics and the first of which to be released was the powder compact priced for sale at 3,999 Yen (around $38 USD).  When this announcement was made they said that they had plans to release this item overseas but sadly, they don't seem to plan on making good on that promise.  I believe they only got so far as Hong Kong... not the western market.  Since I felt its better to be safe than sorry and wait on that, I went on and bought my compact through Mio Boutique Tokyo where it has since then sold out and is out of production.  This item was incredibly hard to get your hands on outside of Japan because inside of the country, they were only allowing 2 items per household making it pretty much near impossible for shopping services to get them for people.  There were 2 rounds of pre-orders for this item both of which sold out within hours.  Finally, they had another round of pre-orders that was unlimited (and once again, Japan only).  I was able to secure one through this and these pre-orders were up for only a week before they sold out for good.

I paid roughly $43 for my compact sometime in June 2013 and waited 6 months for Bandai to ship them.  In total, my compact came to $57 including EMS shipping from Mio Boutique Tokyo to me.  Not a bad deal at all if I do say so myself.  I've been wanting a Sailor Moon compact since I was 7 years old and figured this may very well be my only chance to nab an affordable one.  A few days ago after a ton of drama with my designated post office, my compact arrived!  Onto the photos:

(Click to enlarge the photos)
The box is a pretty sugar pink color with a silver silhouette of Princess Serenity

Side of the box

...another side of the box.  The other side of the box has a silver silhouette of Luna but it kept photographing blurry so I don't have a picture of that.  I may do a video when I'm not feeling lazy but who knows!


The bottom of the box

Inside flaps of the box that say, "Moon Prism Power Make Up!" in a rainbow font.  I thought that was a pretty cute touch.

Onto what everyone wants, the compact!  It's nice and shiny and has acrylic rhinestones.  I consider this to be a step up from the original 90s Japanese toy since that one just had color plastic instead of "crystals."

The compact by itself.  It's a nice size but...

DEFINE COMPACT FOR ME, PLEASE.  Out of all the compacts that I own (and I collect them), this is by far the fattest and most impractical one of them all!  Powder compacts are typically thicker than dual mirror ones (duh) but I think this one is just a bit much...  It opens by pressing on the rectangle.

View of the bottom





The compact opened.  It comes with a really cute powder puff.  It's quite small compared to every other powder puff that comes in my other compacts though.

Opened compact for a view of the mirror.  The mirror is very tiny and impractical.  I could hardly see myself in it because it's so small... but the moon and star relief surrounding it is pretty cute.


The compact opened showing the design of the silver crystal and ribbon.  Now this is where I become very disappointed.  In the promotional photos of the compact, I couldn't tell how the powder and powder puff would be separated but...

...as you can see here, the only thing separating the powder, the powder puff, and the mirror is a crappy sheet of clear plastic with the crystal and ribbon printed on it.  I found this to be very cheap and tacky.  Most high quality powder compacts have a separating compartment to store the powder puff beneath it.  This was a very stupid decision on Bandai's part not to include this feature.


All in all, it's a pretty cute but very impractical powder compact.  Originally, I planned on actually using this compact for the mirror and keeping it in a silk pouch so it would be safe in my purse but... this thing is way too chunky!  I was honestly expecting it to look a bit nicer too since its aimed at adult women but it looks just as childish as the finish on the 90s toys.  The construction of the compact left me unsatisfied as well since there really wasn't anything to separate the mirror, powder puff, and powder from one another except for a crummy round sheet of plastic.  That's... not very practical for a functional compact.  I haven't tested the quality of the powder (and I probably won't at this point) but it does smell pretty nice.  On the Premium Bandai website its described as smelling like "princess rose."  I don't really think it smells a thing like a rose but the smell is quite pretty and inoffensive.

Now for the quality of the powder itself... it's pretty mediocre drug store quality but I was expecting that since this item was marketed solely for its packaging.  It's a pretty crappy as far as highlighters are concerned and its filled with small glitter rather than quality mica powder.  It doesn't pick up very well and goes on quite cakey.  It's decent for reducing the look of oil but all in all, the powder is lousy but who actually bought this for the product alone?  The compact is a cute collectible and my classmates in cosmetology school comment on it all the time (and laugh at its size) but if you're looking for a good highlighter, I highly recommend Too Faced's Candelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo.

As for where to buy this compact, as of right now the only place that I know of is on eBay although you will be paying higher than retail prices for it as this is a sold out limited edition item.  If you're a Sailor Moon collector, I recommend it as a piece for your collection.  For those of you who wanted to actually use this compact... I don't really recommend it since it's very impractical.  The next upcoming Sailor Moon anniversary item on my list is the Proplica Crescent Moon wand!  I've been wanting a crescent moon wand my entire childhood and I went on and pre-ordered mine through Ami Ami.  From what I've seen, it looks a lot better than the sought after Sailor Moon World version of the wand and the (now) funny looking 90s toy.  Best of all, it's perfect for cosplay!  I'll finally have a pretty prop for Princess and Queen Serenity. ;__;

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Sailor Moon Usagi Tsukino ring giveaway!!!



Hey, guys!  From now until April 14th, I am holding a Facebook giveaway for my popular Usagi Tsukino engagement ring!  The contest is being held on Facebook and one lucky person will win!  Do not miss this chance!  Click here for how to win!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Usagi Tsukino's engagement ring (updated version)

Edit 4/31/13:  I am holding a giveaway to win one here!

I've recently updated my Usagi Tsukino (from Sailor Moon) ring replicas.  Now they are on slimmer bands so they're more accurate!  I am of course, selling them in my Etsy store along with various other goodies.

Direct link to the listing can be found here.


Details are similar to the previous version.  The only difference is the band is slimmer.  The jewels are clear cubic zirconia and simulated pink moonstone.  The band is silver-colored copper.  It's an adjustable band so it will be able to fit multiple sizes (usually up to a 10) comfortably.

Because several people have asked me, I will say this again.  You will not be able to find a real diamond ring at the price I'm offering these for!  Genuine diamond rings start at about $800 and those jewels will be small at best and let's not forget the fluctuating prices of gold, silver, and platinum.  My price is cheaper than the going price of the eBay versions and more accurate when compared to a reference picture:


I try my best to keep them at a reasonable since the prices on eBay are downright ridiculous and they aren’t even accurate.  I mean come on, there isn’t a friggin’ “split” in the band in the artwork.  That girl doesn’t even know a thing about jewelry terminology so she’s obviously not making them.  And hers one is nowhere near as “rare” as she claims to even try justifying that $60 price tag. -__-

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Now selling: Usagi Tsukino's engagement ring!

Edit 4/31/13:  I am holding a giveaway for one here until April 14th, 2013.

Edit 4/8/12:  The updated version of it can be found here.

I've been working on replicating the engagement ring that Usagi Tsukino (from Sailor Moon) wears in season 5 of the anime and last arc of the manga "Sailor Moon Sailor Stars."  I've created two so far and hope to make more in the future.  Here's a compiled picture:


The ring is made out of clear cubic zirconia, simulated pink moonstone, and silver colored brass.  If you're interested in buying, check out the listing in my Etsy shop!  Much cheaper than those listed on eBay!

Reference image: 


Monday, November 14, 2011

Wig commission information

I'm accepting commissions for wigs (almost) year-round and here's the information if you're interested!

I have been styling wigs for a little over four years now. I specialize in two-toned, high ponytail, pigtail, curly and wavy, Sailor Moon, and natural styled wigs although there are other styles I can create as well. The only kind I will not do are super spiky, gravity defying, complex styles of apocalyptic doom (such as Envy, Ryoko, Washu, Yami/Yugi, SS3 Goku, and Axel for example). I can also do custom colors on wigs. The type of fibers I work with are heat-resistant, kanekalon, and Elora. My pricing is based on the cost of materials, styling, and shipping. Wigs can take anywhere between 6 to 8 weeks for completion and it is recommended to order in a timely matter so they can be delivered to you in time for your event.


I accept Paypal, money orders, cashiers checks, and concealed cash (at your own risk). In order to start your wig, I require the cost of materials to be paid upfront and the rest paid upon completion. I'm based in the United States, but will ship internationally for an additional cost. Wigs are shipped in a large box and on a wig head by Priority Mail.


I'm going to put this out there right now.  You will not get a $30 wig from me.  It isn't possible because you are paying for both the materials and my time.  Materials on average can run anywhere from $55-$90+ depending on the wig.  If you are interested in purchasing a custom wig from me, send me an email at celciaREMOVETHIS@inbox.com with "Wig commission" as your subject line or you can send me a conversation through my Etsy account (click on "contact").  Examples of my work:


Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon

Sheryl Nome from Macross Frontier

Zhen Ji from Dynasty Warriors 6

Akroma, Angel of Wrath from Magic the Gathering


I'm not taking orders for spiky or super fluffy wigs at this time since I'm not really experienced with those.  

New crafts for November

Now that I've gotten my commissions out of the way, I can finally work on some personal projects.  This month, I'm going to finally get around to working on my Team Rocket cosplay!  First, I'm going to start the gloves since I still need red and white ribbed cotton for the trims on the dress.  This will be my first time making my own gloves and bootcovers so this'll be quite a learning experience.  When I was in New York in August, I took a trip down to the Fashion District in Manhattan to pick up some fabric.  The stuff wasn't really a bargain, but they obviously have a much bigger selection of fabric and other materials than my state has.

While I was there, I bought white stretch pleather (to make the gloves and bootcovers) and purple accordion (pleated) satin.  The satin will be used in another up comming Sheryl Nome cosplay and the pleather will obviously be used in the Team Rocket one.  Which Team Rocket character am I cosplaying as?  Well... very few of you know, but I'm keeping that a secret until I've completed the wig since that's the most important part since her hair is so distinctive (and bad wigs, unstyled wigs, etc. are my biggest cosplay pet-peeve moreso than anything else).  I've bought some beeswax from Etsy to make the threads stronger as the pattern recommends and hopefully, I can somehow do this on my sewing machine since I hate hand-sewing anything.


And this is the progress of a rose hair comb I was working on back in August to go with my dress to a ball I was attending in New York.  I ended up not wearing the dress I was going to wear it with, so I didn't get any use out of this yet.  BUT I am going to use it for my Princess Serenity cosplay when I wear it again!  The rose is made out of polymer clay.  Speaking of Princess Serenity, I'm going to be making a new wig since I sold my other one (I didn't really like the super white color and would prefer a silver one).  This'll be my... fourth moon wig?  I also plan on cosplaying as Queen Serenity in the future so I'll be getting a good amount of use out of this wig!  I'll start working on the wig in a few months, or whenever there's another sale on the needed materials (whichever comes first).

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

New Sailor Moon wig finished!

I've finished a new Sailor Moon wig commission just the other day and this one turned out even better than the last one!  I used different a different method (which was even more time consuming, but it was safer) and it turned out just wonderful. :)




If you're interested in owning a wig like this one, visit my Etsy store and I can custom make one just for you in any color you'd like!

Custom Sailor Moon wig commissions!

Hello there everyone!  Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been busy with commission work (so life has been a doozy).  After the latest wig commission I've done, I am now offering custom-made Sailor Moon wigs in my Etsy store!  I can do Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity, and Queen Serenity.  I can also do Black/Wicked Lady, but that will cost extra due to the materials needed.  In addition to the moon family, I can also do other Sailor Senshi and many other anime and video game characters!  However... I will not do spiky wigs at this time.

If you are interested, check out my Etsy Shop!  More information can be viewed there!

Monday, October 3, 2011

New Etsy store!

Not exactly new, but I've got it up and running again!  I'm selling custom made costumes, wigs, and accessories now.  Right now I am taking orders for Rinoa Heartilly's duster and sleeves from the video game Final Fantasy VIII.  They're made out of real sweater material (rib knit yarn) and I can only make a few of them, so order now while you still can!  Once they're sold out, that's it!  I'm also selling my white Princess Serenity wig SOLD!! and my Cendrillon Miku Hatsune costume from Vocaloid!

Friday, July 15, 2011

I'm still around!

Hey, everyone!  I'm still around!  Severe lack of updates due to many reasons, like me being ticked off about something that happened, and cosplay work.  Did two wig commissions in two weeks (rush orders) which nearly killed me.  Needless to say, I will not be doing that ever again.  My Serenity dress was finished a while ago!  The only thing I didn't get around to doing were a pair of proper sleeves... I need to play around with resin and/or craft foam and craft foam for that.  That'll be finished at another time.

Anyway, here's a picture from a photoshoot I did in this dress!


For a better view... click on the picture. Lol

Model is me
Photo by roflwaffles
Edited by my friend John Paul


I have more pictures, but I'll upload them when I'm feeling more like myself and not in lots of pain.

Monday, April 4, 2011

More progress n stuff

I'm doing somewhat better now... I've been working on two wigs for people and very slowly working on my gown.  My lace came in last month so I've been able to finish the bodice!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Serenity progress 4

I've been meaning to write a blog on cheap ways to make jewelry, but I'll get around to that either later today or tomorrow once I've fixed a pair of my mother's earrings.

It may not look like much (unless you click for the full view), but I've added a ton of cream colored pearl cabochons to the edges of the circles.  It's totally optional, but I want my dress to look more realistic than "cartoony" as some may prefer.  ...Still waiting on that package to arrive with my lace.  If that package is lost, I'm seriously going to cry, man.