Turning Japanese, I really think so.

My beautiful friends Pennie and Mark recently returned from an epic little trip to Japan. Along with some incredible stories and wicked photos (all of which make me want to travel there so badly!), Pennie arrived home with some gorgeous gifts for me. Before they left I may have put in a cheeky request for some false eyelashes (I've heard great things about Japanese falsies), but my dear friend went above and beyond, bringing me back a couple of other little treats as well. I realise some of these can be found here in Melbourne, but I think it's novel and marvellous to be given something that's been handpicked from a quirky shop in Harajuku.

So, if you'd like to have a little sticky beak - scroll on baby!

Fluttery lashes, hair candy and Disney?! Oh yes.

A Lolita-esque hair clip.

This is completely my taste. Girly, and just a little bit vintage. Unfortunately, the alligator clip on the back broke during transit. Nothing a hot glue gun can't fix though. Perhaps one of my favourite things about this gift, is the slogan written on the top left hand corner of the backing card. "We will make you dressed up easily happily always". Japanese to English translations make me giggle!

Candy Collection False Eyelashes.

These falsies are such a brilliant purple. I have a feather necklace exactlly the same colour as this, which I think would match perfectly. For fear of looking like a drag queen (the bad kind) I'm nearly certain that I'll be trimming these before I wear them. I'm really excited to try these though. I think they'll be a bit of a lark to wear.

Annie False Eyelashes in Type 100 Lovely.

Lash Extreme Closeup!

How beautiful are these lashes? I may have squealed a bit when I saw these actually! I absolutely adore lashes that have a bit of a separated, spiky look to them (think Ardell Demi Pixies). So these immediately won me over for that reason. What visually sets these apart from the Demi Pixies though, is the extra lashes in the outer corner. This seems to soften the overall look and even adds a bit of a cat-eye effect. Better still, the pack contains TWO sets, as well as a tube of eyelash glue. Win win! I'll have to let you know how I go with these, but I can tell you from the get-go, I have high expectations.

The Little Mermaid phone charms from Disney Sea.

The Little Mermaid has always been my favourite Disney movie, so this last gift really made me smile. First things first, I love that this includes Sebastion, who is undoubdetly my favourite Disney character to quote. I also kind of dig that Ariel and Eric are wearing the outfits from the 'Kiss The Girl' scene (my favourite song from the film). While I don't use phone charms on my mobile (does anyone even do that anymore?) I keep a small collection of charms attatched to the wire on my guinea pigs' indoor cage. So these will be a lovely addition.

Bai Bai!

Night Owl: An Evening Look

I don't really do big nights out these days. Usually because of a lack of money, time or interest. I'll sooner choose a live gig or a night on the couch, watching dvd's and drinking tea, than trotting around a dance floor toting an overpriced glass of bubbly. Still, on the rare occasions I do...ahem...'club' (usually on someone's birthday, as was the case here) I relish in dressing up. Here's a little evening look I had fun putting together before a birthday bash in the city the other night.

Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix in 52 Vanilla
Concealer: Rimmel Match Perfection in 010 Ivory with Benefit Powderflage over the top
Eyebrows: Rimmel Brow Pencil in 002 Hazel with MAC Blush in Frankly Scarlet over the top
Eyeshadow: MAC Paintpot in Bare Study & MAC Matte Eyeshadow in Blackberry
Eyeliner: Combination of MAC Gel Liner in Blacktrack & Maybelline Masterprecise Liquid Liner
Eyelashes: Maybelline Full n' Soft Mascara in Very Black & Paperself False Lashes in Deer and Butterfly
Blush: Bourjois Blusher in 34 Rose D'Or
Setting Powder: Maxfactor Transluscent Powder
Lips: Silk Oil Of Morocco Lip Gloss in Ruby 

Jacket: Op Shop
Earrings: Diva

I have a mad love affair with these lashes!

As you can see, I finally got around to adorning my eyes with the amazing Deer and Butterfly false eyelashes by Paperself. Some of you might remember me swooning over them in this post. With a pair of nail scissors, I turned them into accent lashes and tried to make the sweet little butterflies the main point of focus. They deserved the attention!

xx.

Eyes All Aflutter With Paperself Lashes

Pinch me, I'm dreaming! Ever since one of my friends introduced me to these amazing paper lashes I have been completely smitten. I can't think of a product that makes me feel more romantic and extravagant. As far as false lashes go; these take the cake. I realise this post may be one gigantic swoon, but I simply couldn't resist the urge to share them with you!

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Deer and Butterfly Lash from Paperself

Each pair of these wonderful lashes are intricately cut, apparently "inspired by the art of Chinese paper-cutting". There are currently 19 designs in the collection which include full lashes and some smaller, outer corner lashes. Each are housed in an equally beautiful embossed paper box. The one below is a little different because it's a Victoria and Albert Museum exclusive.

The Stunning Packaging

Lashes Removed From the Outer Box 

A Little Explanation of the Lace Garden Design

V&A Lace Garden Lashes. Sigh. Perfect!

Being made of a delicate material like paper the first question on your lips may very well be "do they last?" If you're very gentle when removing them from the packet (and from your lashline after use) they can actually last you as long as regular falsies. Of course, they're more likely to get damaged if you get caught in the rain or find yourself face first on a pillow after a big night out, but generally they're fine. I've worn my Peach Blossom pair twice now and they're still good to go!

Looking Like a Deer in the Headlights With My Peach Blossom Lashes

As you can see in the photo above, the full lashes can easily be trimmed and arranged any way that you like. I really love how creative you can be with the lashes in this way. They can create such a different look depending on whether you choose to wear the full lash (I don't know if I'd be game enough) or section it off and position them wherever takes your fancy!

The only teeny tiny downside of the Paperself lashes is that firstly, they don't include glue and secondly, you can sometimes feel them against your skin. The former isn't really a big deal because I assume most girls have Duo glue or some other brand of adhesive at hand. The latter may be a bit of an annoyance for some. Personaly, I was ok with feeling the lashes hitting my browbone from time to time. But as they're not a particularly soft material, this might irritate those people who aren't comfortable with having that kind of slightly abrasive contact. In my opinion, they're totally worth it though!

Forgive the Slightly Dodgey Application!

Now we get to the nitty gritty: stockists and pricing. As they are a London based company, it's obviously easier (and cheaper) to purchase them in the UK, or even the US for that matter. I picked up the Deer and Butterfly pair from Sephora on a trip to New York and the Lace Garden pair from the Victoria & Albert Museum giftshop in London. Annoyingly, my friend doesn't remember where she found the Peach Blossom pair here in Melbourne. You can of course buy them from the Paperself Website, but be warned, the lashes cost a whopping $19.50 for the full set and $16.50 for the outer corner set. Plus international postage is $11 for the first pair and around $2 extra for any additional pairs. My recommendation? Pick them up on holiday or befriend a lovely UK or US girly who's willing to send them to you! Regardless, they're just too beautiful not to snap up! I'm currently eyeing off the Bird pair. Excuse the pun!

xx.