Taobao Haul #18: Mrs. Shen, Pippi Palace, Yu Xi Xi Xi (Butterfly of Death), Aurora and Ariel, Bingo Lulu Lolita, Seven Dream, A. Sylvia

 I'm back with my first haul of 2021! YAY!! We've got some great finds in this post so let's go~!

Mrs. Shen

Stock photo, I do not own!

WOWWWWWWW. That's basically all I can say. I was honestly 1000% impressed with the headpieces I got in this order. Both shops knocked it out of the park and sent it around the world. 10 out of 20, would absolutely buy EVERYTHING they sell.

My new headpiece!

For the quality, the price was more than reasonable. I'm so in love, which I pretty much say about all my hats, haha. I also bought a pearl choker from them that's lovely, but pretty run-of-the-mill. They have some killer accessories ranging from headpieces to earrings and fans, which I appreciate. Anyway, go ahead and buy everything this shop sells -- you won't regret it.

Check out the storefront with this link. 

Pippi Palace

Stock photo, I do not own!

It wouldn't be a haul if I didn't buy some wigs! This round of wigs came from Pippi Palace. I stumbled across this shop thanks to the front page of Spreenow, which showcases the items that other users have purchased. I'm not sure who bought these wigs, but many thanks to you, anonymous Spreenow shopper. 

Pink wig.

Each wig looks great, but I wasn't won over with the pink wig I grabbed. What do you think?

Pink wig in person.

These wigs are lovely and soft. I bought 3 just to give the shop a fair shot. I like 2 out of 3, so I'd say this shop gave me a solid run for my money.

Stock photo.

I give Pippi Palace a 6 out of 8, so feel free to see what the store has to offer here.

Yu Xi Xi Xi (Butterfly of Death)

Pippi Palace matte black wig ft. Butterfly of Death headpiece.

This shot serves as a two-for-one because it shows both the wig and the headpiece I got from Yu Xi Xi Xi, also known as, Butterfly of Death. I mentioned them in my last review so I won't say much except -- the proof is in the pudding. This is the second time I've purchased a headpiece from this shop, and at this point, I trust their work. If you need more convincing though, check out my first review of the shop here.

Aurora and Ariel

Stock photo.

There's a lot of buzz in the Plus Size Lolita community about this petticoat. I decided to try it out after my friend had a pleasant experience with them. I believe the petticoat I got was their fluffiest one, which kind of surprised me, but more on that later.

Wearing the petticoat in a coord.

For starters, I didn't have to order the petticoat in custom sizing for it to fit me, which shows that the sizing is somewhat generous. However, I have heard that some folks have had issues with the custom options, so proceed with caution.

Poof-wise, I was underwhelmed. It doesn't have mega-poof like the ones from Classical Puppets or MeLikesTea, but it's sufficient. Since I have two hoopskirts (a long, convertible one, and a short one) and another, less poofy petticoat, I find that this one will help me avoid wearing a million layers at the same time. It might be worth a shot for the custom sizing, for my concerned plus-sized pretties out there. 

I give them a 5 out of 8. Not an awful score, and when the alternative is an $80+ petticoat from other sellers, these will work in a sizing and/or financial pinch. You can check out the other items available for sale from Aurora & Ariel on the storefront. 

Bingo Lulu Lolita

Stock Photo.

Mana-sama, save me, because I'm about to spend waaaayyyy too much money on freaking shoe shipping! Bingo Lulu Lolita has so many wedges and platforms in the cutest styles, and I honestly need them all. 

I grabbed these cute shoes in red, since I sold my one pair of red shoes many moons ago. This time around, I went with a Size 38 since the last pair of platforms I bought were too big at Size 39. Unfortunately, these shoes run on the narrow side (which is pretty surprising for wedges/platforms), so I actually could have gotten a 39. I highly suggest sizing up with this brand. For reference, I'm a 7.5 wide/8 in US Women's shoes.

My red shoes!

I want about 3 other pairs of shoes from this shop, so they've earned a spot on my Favorites list! Grab your own super cute shoes with this link. 

Seven Dream

Stock photo!

I've been eyeing shoes from Seven Dream for a while. These shoes are oh so elegant, and the construction is pretty good. I mostly bought these because no one told me that I already have 2 pairs of gold shoes, XP

Seven Dream shoes.

These shoes are comfy and glossy! I got them in Size 39 and they fit perfectly! Seven Dream has a nice selection of shoes, and now that I know that they fit pretty true-to-size, I can order more pairs without problems. Not that I need any more shoes, but that's neither here nor there, hehe.

I give these folks a 7 out of 8. Check out Seven Dream's page.

A. Sylvia

Stock Photo.

I saved this blouse for last because this was my most disappointing purchase in the bunch. This blouse is absolutely gorgeous in photos, but the construction is... odd? I feel that that's the best way to describe it. The sleeves are gorgeous and serve as the focal point of the blouse. Y'all know I have a weakness for blouses with a unique texture, but there's just something not adding up with this piece.

The blouse in person.

Up close of the sleeves.

Mostly, I think I expected the blouse to not cut so low in the back. For those who don't know, I have a tattoo on my shoulder and it is completely visible with this blouse on, because it's a low, square cut. I'm just not sure how I feel about it. Additionally, I tried the blouse on with 3 different dresses, and it just... didn't work. I'm not sure if this is something that needs to be worn specifically with a square neckline, or if it just didn't suit the dresses I tried it with, :/ 

I don't want to give A. Sylvia a negative review, but with the way this blouse is designed, and the lack of diverse sizing for the other blouses on the site, I can't recommend this shop to any plus size Lolitas. There are other shops out there that offer better sizing and construction (ie Little Dipper!) for basically the same price. Since I'm not recommending them, I won't link the shop.

I snagged some things during a few pre-orders, so like always, there will be another haul coming soon! I also bought some brand pieces recently, that I didn't write reviews for. Would y'all be interested in my experience ordering directly and indirectly from a few major Lolita brands? Let me know if you'd like to read a post about things like that in the comments down below!

I hope all of you are taking care of yourselves and staying healthy. I won't say that 2021 is going to be the year that everything goes back to normal, but please remember to take it easy, and cherish each moment. Thank you so much for reading!

Stay beautiful, stay true,

~J