Axes Femme and Liz Lisa 2014 Fukubukuro Opening!

Hello~!

So the day we've been waiting for is finally here!   Both of my lucky packs have arrived (they came in on January 14th), and I've inspected and tried on everything!  I must say, I was pleasantly surprised!  I got a lot of lovely things that I'll definitely be wearing a lot for this and next winter (and a few things I'll be wearing in spring!).  So spoiler alert, I was "lucky" indeed~

I used the shopping service Tenso.  I signed up for both Liz Lisa and Axes Femme, and instead of putting in my address, I put in the Tenso designated address.  There are plenty of tutorials that explain how to do it (including one on the Tenso website itself) so I won't go into it, but it's actually very easy to do.  Then I just put in my credit card information.  I knew it went through, because the website takes a small amount (like a penny) from your card to make sure that it's a real card.  They cancel the transaction, and it's also a quick way to find out if your card properly went through as well, if you check your account on your bank's website (if you're able to).  Now I'm able to buy whatever I want from these sites!

Oh, and a special note, if your bank is the type that stops the payment and sends you an e-mail/text or calls to confirm that you're the one doing this, you'll have to confirm the payment then re-purchace the item.  It should go through after that!  Since these were pre-orders, they didn't actually take any money until they shipped it towards the end of the month.  It takes a little while for my bank to clear the payment (and I guess they charge a little fee to convert from yen to dollar), so don't be too worried if you pay for something, but the money is still there a few days later.  Just make sure you don't spend the money until then!


But you're not here for ramblings about the shipping process, you just want some pretty clothes, right?  So without further ado, let's get to the lovely things I got in my packs!

So let me start off by saying that the quality is great!  Everything is nice and solid, and nothing feels cheap (even the little tote I got from Axes Femme).


Oh and for reference, my sizes are:
   Bust: 33in (84cm)
   Waist: 24in (61cm)
   Hips: 35in (89cm)
   Height: 5' 7.5" (171cm)

Everything fit great and nothing was tight at all.  It's all extremely comfortable and soft, so it's great for everyday wear.

Liz Lisa Tote and Boston

I'll start off with Liz Lisa.  These were revealed sometime, so I already knew what I was getting.... Or so I thought!   But I'll explain that later.  The quality is definitely an upgrade from the trunk I got last year (not to say they were chintzy or anything, but you can feel the difference).  Everything is in the same color scheme of brown and cream with some pink accents.  The total for the set was ¥15750.

I was actually surprised that I would actually like the bags in person!   I thought they would just be too plain, and though they are still plain, in my hands, I like them a lot more.  The boston is actually a three way:  you can use it as a handbag, and shoulder bag, and it comes with an extra strap to make it into a backpack!   Alright, let's get to the items inside, starting with the boston bag!

Tank top

A tank top that fits even while wearing a bra!  The chest doesn't hit too high or too low or anything~!  The back has a bit of elastic, so it stretches a little.  It's semi sheer, so it's definitely meant to be worn under things instead of on its own.  Its original price point is a bit high though....  Are their tanks usually $40 even when they're this simple?

Sweater

The last sweaters I got from them were long, so I was glad to see this was a shorter one.  It's got a nice design on the front, and it fits over my larger items.  In fact, I wore it over the dress I got with the boston, and it wasn't tight at all!   It's a nice dusty off white color, so it'll go with all of my spring stuff, lol.

Dress

A very soft and cute dress that can either be worn high on the shoulders or lower.  It's not too overly fancy that it can't just be worn on a normal day.  The inside is lined with a satin fabric and there's elastic around the neck and the waist, so it's very comfortable to wear and easy to put on.  It's very short, especially on me, but LL is known for their short skirts and dresses anyway, lol.

On to the tote!  Surprise!  The website showed that I would be getting something entirely different!  In fact, the only thing I got that was the same was the makeup pouch.  But it was a pleasant surprise, as I got some lovely things~!  Also, this tote is huge.  What do people use totes for?  I feel like I can use this as an overnight bag.

Top

I didn't think I would like this top when I saw it, but I promised myself I would try everything on.  It's actually very cute and goes great with the dress and skirt I got with this.  It's pretty sheer, so I'll be wearing a tank underneath.

Skirt

I love this skirt!  It's made with the same fabric as the dress from the boston, so it's super comfortable.  There's shirring on the back, so it just slips on, and it's lined in the same satin as the dress as well.  I would have also loved to have the shorts that they showed coming in the pack, but I still like this skirt all the same.

Dress

Another item I didn't think I would like, but when worn, it looked really cute!  There's shirring on the back of this as well, and lined with satin.  I really like the pinstripe detail on the front.  It's pretty warm, so I think I can get some wear out of this in early spring.

Coat

I must be honest, I was really hoping for the white coat, since I already have the brown coat from last year.  Still, it's a nice coat.  Not as form fitting as I would have liked, but it'll be great to wear when I want to wear one of my fluffy sweaters from last year's pack (which were just too thick to wear with my last LL coat without worrying that the buttons would explode right off if I took a deep breath, lol).  It's also not very thick, so it's definitely not something I'd wear when it hits our record lows, but I've always wanted a cute jacket to wear in early spring when the temperature is in the 30s and 40s.

Axes Femme Pack

I tried to get a good idea of what was in one of these packs, but I really only saw a few consistencies.   People were getting one of two styles of shirts, turtlenecks, coats, dresses, and a random shirt, with the only thing guaranteed being a cardigan.  Everything was in all these random colors, so even when I had an idea, I still couldn't guess what I could get.   I made a promise to myself that if it was in a color that I didn't normally go for (like orange or something) that I would still try it out and keep it if it looked good on me.  It cost me ¥10000 and came with a nice little tote that I can use maybe as a grocery bag.  Not a single skirt or pair of shorts though, and most of the items don't go with one another, so if you're hoping to get a full outfit out of this, it probably won't happen unless you get lucky and something matches with your dress.

Everything was stored in this cute box, and you can actually move the handle so it changes from luggage to drawer style.   It's cardboard though, so don't try to use it as luggage, lol.  I put Felicity in it, and she fits perfectly, even with her foam inserts from her original box!   She now has a new home, and I'm really tempted to glue the foam to the box, lol.  I mean, I guess it's not like I'll be using the box for anything else.

Short sleeve top

Back

This was the only thing that was lackluster for me.  It's pretty and all, but it doesn't form very well to my body as the back just balloons out on me.  It's got a mock corset back on it, and with the exception of the sleeves, the black parts have a vinyl feel to it.  I gave it to my friend Jessi (the fashion buddy I've spoken about) since it's in her style and I thought it might look better on her.  *Becauseyoutotallyneedmoretops,right?*

Tie neck top

From the reveals I found, I knew I would either get this style of shirt in white or blue or another shirt in white, blue, or lavender.  Though I was hoping for white, I still like this top and I'm glad I got this one instead of the other.  I don't know why, but it has a very Ank Rouge kind of feel to it.  Maybe it's the tie?  I'll have to invest in some jumper skirts to go with it.

Cowl neck top

It's my favorite item~!  I'm definitely going to need to find some more skirts to go with it!  It's so pretty and elegant, that even if I wear it casually, it'll look fancy.  There was another style of turtleneck/high neck top I could have gotten instead, but I don't know if I would have loved the other one as much as I love this!

Dress

It's a really comfortable and cute dress~  The tie is kind of in a weird position, but since it was tied in the front when I took off the wrapping, I guess that's how it's supposed to tie.  I knew I would be getting one of two styles of dresses in a variety of colors.  I think I would have preferred the other one, but it's still a cute dress.  Also, it's longer than the LL ones, hitting a few inches above the knee, which is my favorite length for a dress to be.

Light cardigan

Decal detail

Oh I really like this~!  And that's not and ironed on patch.  It's actually sewn onto the sweater!  Every pack I saw had this style of sweater, but I also saw a good 5 different colors.  I'm glad I got black, since I've been needing a black cardigan, but couldn't quite find one I liked.

Coat

Sleeve and pocket detail

This has become my new winter coat.  It's nice and thick, and solid enough to handle even our Chicago winters (it's noticeably thicker than both of my LL coats).  Even the lace details are heavy-duty.  This coat was made to stand the test of time.  The pockets work and the buttons have a lovely design.  But what really blew me away was the bow detail on the sleeves.  And it's such a pretty blue!  I could have used this when it got into the negatives in early January, lol, but I can say it kept me warm when it was 5°F recently.  The sleeves are a little short on me, hitting above the wrists, but I'm used to that.  It's probably made that way so you can wear their fur trimmed gloves with it.


And there you have it, my lovely lucky packs.  I am so totally satisfied~!!  I will definitely try my hand at both of them again next year (as insanely difficult as it was to get the AF one)!

So, what's a fashion blog without coordinates??  I've been a right dunce in that regard, so the next post will be some outfit shots!  I need to get this blog back on track, lol.