So we’re back to regularly scheduled programming now that most of the year’s events are over, I’m feeling much better and I’m ready to get back to my routine and post properly again!
This review has been a long time coming because I wanted to get some good photos with James’ new camera to do it justice!
Mini Maos contacted me a while ago to organise a review and having been a fan of theirs for quite a while via Cheesie’s blog I agreed. I love the idea of reasonably priced resellers outside of Japan and considering the conversion from the Australian Dollar to the Malaysian RM it’s another +1 in terms of shopping XD
Yay for reasonably priced Japanese brands and world wide shipping!
Shop: Mini Maos
Mini Maos sell imported Japanese clothing and carry brands such as Liz Lisa, WC, Dolly Wink, Duffy, Murua and the like. They also carry some other general gyaru brands from cheaper stores.
Shipping:I picked out a couple of items I liked from the store and they sent it via EMS. The shipping time was longer than usual because one of the items I wanted was out of stock and then it got stuck it Australian Customs for a few days. Boo to Australian Customs delaying my love of shoes. This is what arrived:
It was a thick black bag within another bag taped up with packing tape. I personally prefer boxes just in case there are delicate items but nothing was damaged in transit so no problems here. Inside the package:
So let’s start with the blue dress, this is actually my favorite of the two because it’s so springish! Dress name: Denim One Piece Original Brand: LizLisa Price: 189RM (around AU$61)
Thoughts: LOVE this dress, it’s exactly my current style coming into Spring. I have the lighter colour and it’s a thicker denim than I was expecting. It’s also quite short. In this picture you can kind of see the bottom is the lace attached to the blue, I found I had to wear another draped skirt underneath it to feel comfortable. With the other skirt though it looks so cute!
As with most Japanese clothing it only comes in one size. It’s a tiny bit big for me as usual but the back has shirring so I imagine this could fit a variety of sizes and still look great. The lace detailing is nice and soft quality lace not scratchy nylon. This is the kind of quality I would expect from a brand along the level of Liz Lisa. Really like this one and would definitely buy more from Liz Lisa!
Next on to the shoes. Name: Mui Mui x Lena Inspired Vintage Heels Price: 119RM (around AU$39)
Thoughts: The design of these shoes is so cute, they are super high and remind me a lot of a cuter version of school shoes. They come in black or tan and the tan is this nice creamy shade:
They have a nice high platform and make me feel like a giant without feeling like I’m going to topple over. The actual heel isn’t very high when you take into account the front platform so I found them to be fairly comfortable for walking. I wouldn’t wear them for standing up all day but they are super cute for a night out.
The construction here was so much better than I was expecting for the price, in Aus $40 would most likely get you pretty crappy shoes unless you knew where to shop, these are better made than most of my other shoes and feel very sturdy on. I like that the heel is quite thick and not at all wobbly.
The material they’re made of is nice and shiny and doesn’t scuff easily. I scuff shoes like crazy but even after wearing these several times there’s nothing at all on there. Very happy with the quality.
Now my absolute favorite part of the shoes: the buckles. They are functioning buckles so you can adjust size for your ankle but you don’t actually have to undo them to remove. You can see in the photo below that the strap before the buckle slides through a hook and is kept in place. That means you can put them on super quickly and easily even if you have ridiculously long nails 😀
Product: Spring Kago Bag Brand: Liz Lisa Price: 199RM (around AU$65)
This one comes in white or pink but I picked white so it would go with more of my clothes and specifically the blue Liz Lisa dress.
It’s a nice sturdy woven bag which fits a surprising amount in it. The inside is lined with a very thin floral cotton and the straps are detachable. There are quite a few cute little details like the branded charm, inside pocket and detachable flower key chain.
The bottom has protector feet so the basket weave doesn’t get damaged or dirty when you set it down. The stap easily come off so if you’re like me and don’t like chain you could easily change it to something else.
I was surprised how often I actually use this bag, when I got it I thought it would be a fun thing for Spring but it’s actually really handy. I can cram a lot of things in there but not so much that it gets heavy so it’s become my everyday bag for when I don’t need to take the ipad with me.
There were a couple of little details that were odd to me such as the white part of the strap being longer than the chain so it poked out a few places and the metal parts needing a bit of a clean when it arrived but other than that I think it’s a great little bag. Very happy with it!
Last item! Item: Victorian Cape Dress Brand: Bebe Rose Price: 189 RM (around AU$60)
Mini Maos actually suggested this one to suit my current love of everything chiffon, and I think they were right ^_^ It’s a basic dress with a detachable cape that goes over the top. With the cape it reminds me of Little House on the Prairie .
Without it, the style is more something I would wear day to day. Again this one is quite short (remember I’m only 151cm tall) so when I wore it out I tended to add an underskirt. It was a little big again for me but the waist is elastic and gathered around the back so it could fit a lot of shapes.
The lace detail was again very pretty and good quality. The sleeves were quite see through but the body of it is lined so not transparent at all. Lace details around the bust:
I think with the cape this is quite a versatile dress. I wore the cape a few times around my waist to give it extra shape and add another layer to the skirt, super cute!
The only problem I had with this one is that the buttons weren’t sewn on super well so the first time I wore it out one of them unraveled. Not a particularly big problem and easily sewn back on. From the back with the cape. I actually prefer the dress without the cape but I like the cape with several of my other outfits.
So overall experience with Mini Maos? Very good! The prices are really reasonable, in stores here in Aus we would pay at least double for imports like this so very happy in that regard. The quality is what you can expect from Japanese brands, shipping was quick once the things I wanted were in stock and their online store has heaps of brands and variety. Overall very happy and I would definitely order from them. In fact I’ve started making a Christmas list from there to pass on to my family haha XD
Bonus: simple natural make up for the day trying a bunch of new products to review soon…
Double bonus, James wanted to test his new set up while I was dressed up so he shot a bunch of cool artsy photos. Enjoy XD
So yes, love my new clothes and if you’re looking for Japanese brand clothes outside of Japan I would suggest having a look through Mini Maos‘ site!
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