One Year Challenge Week 39: Minimal

It seems difficult to describe outfits in Style Boutique as minimal sometimes as there are just so many unique items in the game! Of course there are plenty of basic looking items (there is even an entire brand called Basic U) however you often get distracted by all the crazy looking fun stuff. So this weeks theme is minimal however I didn't want to stick with only the basic image. I ended up with three minimal styled looks from three different images. First up is a cute girly look which could almost pass for boho chic as well. Nice and casual for a warm summer day and I've become a fan of this style of top this summer. I was gifted a lovely top in this style from someone and it is the best thing to wear on a super hot day with shorts. Second look is a gorgeous feminine outfit and is more styled for spring or autumn. Lastly I went with a lively look which almost looks like something from Basic U. I adore these pastel toned shorts from April Bonbon and have been obsessed lately.

After School The 6th Maxi Single 첫 사랑 Cheot Sarang - Single Review (Lizzy Version)

After School is a popular group here on Marzipan Wonderland and I've reviewed a number of their releases previously. Well today I am back with yet another After School review and this time it is their sixth single 첫 사랑 Cheot Sarang. The single and sites on the internet lists this release as a maxi single. According to the KpopFandom wiki, there are only a few k-pop releases that are called maxi singles and I have no clue what the difference is in regards to regular singles. I'm guess it means the size of the album or content as this particular one is quite massive. Anyway let's get into the review!

첫 사랑 Cheot Sarang or it is also known as First Love, is the sixth single from Korean girl group After School. It is referred to as a maxi single like the group's previous single Flashback was. The single was released on March 25th 2013 and came in eight versions with one for each member. I brought my copy of the single second hand and was lucky enough to score the Lizzy version who is one of my biases in the group. All the member covers look amazing though especially E-Young who I kinda low key want now. The single came with the following contents:

• CD - 6 track single
• Cardboard sleeve
• Photobook
• Member postcard (Random 1 from 9 types)

Strawberry Milk 1st Mini Album - Album Review

This mini album from Strawberry Milk has to be one of the cutest in my collection. Ever since I got it, I've just loved looking at it and it also has the most amazing texture to it! It has this textured gloss to the front and back cover. Everything about it is perfect from the large size to the lovely photo book of Choa and Way. There is no official title for this mini besides being called the 1st Mini Album which is super imaginative.

The 1st Mini Album is the first and only mini album from the duo Strawberry Milk who are a sub-unit of the Korean girl group Crayon Pop. The group consists of twins Choa and Way who are still together as a sub-unit now under the name Choa and Way. The mini album was released on October 15th 2014 and came in one version. I believe I brought my copy from YesAsia and it's just so long ago since I got it. I remember being super excited to order it as I'm a huge Crayon Pop stan. The mini album comes with the following contents:

• CD - 8 track mini album
• Photobook

Girls Mode 3 Glitter ☆ Coordination Book - flute f

A request came through from a reader of the blog for another Girls Mode 3 Glitter ☆ Coordination Book post who was after the items from the brand Chorale. This lovely request made it super easy to decide on the next set of photos to post from the book! In Girls Mode 3, the brand Chorale is called flute f which is a perfectly elegantly sounding name to match the feminine brand of the series. I absolutely adore the outfit that brand representative Aisling has one in the photo below. It encapsulates what flute f represents and the colours tones are gorgeous. 

flute f is home to a variety of styles that are not just feminine. Of course we have the girly style which I personally feel can be quite similar to the feminine one. Sometimes I even get the items mixed up or make outfits that I look back on and wonder whether it is girly or feminine. The other styles that are found at flute f are basic, psychedelic, gothic, baby-doll, chic and preppy. flute f is a brand that I came to love the more I played the game and feel that I've used it quite a lot in the latest instalment in the series. Looking at these photos of the items showcases how the brand jumps from beautiful pastel tones to sophisticated dark tones. I feel with this brand that I can always piece together a stylish looking outfit and it is a great brand to mix with other ones such as Marzipan Sky, Enid Chen or Brooke Bridge.

One Year Challenge Week 38: Basic U

Basic U is a simple brand that allows you to create some lovely styled outfits once you start to explore the range. I feel like I've always ignored Basic U in all the other Style Boutique games and only started to appreciate it in Styling Star. Maybe it was because I forced myself to use it more with challenges and it has been quite fun. I've discovered the kind of outfits I usually leans towards with the brand and I always seem to stick to one colour. This weeks outfits are very yellow, red and blue like the primary colours! The second outfit with the sporty dress would be my favourite from the bunch and it paired perfectly with the striped socks and sneakers. I feel the first outfit is the closest to what I would wear in real life as I'm a die hard fan for skinny jeans and long cardigans. 

AKB48 ここにいたこと Koko ni Ita Koto - Album Review (Theatre Edition)

Big day today with the first AKB48 review on Marzipan Wonderland! Now I don't have a massive AKB48 collection however I do have a number of items to showcase. First off we shall look at the theatre edition of their album ここにいたこと Koko ni Ita Koto.

ここにいたこと Koko ni Ita Koto is the first original studio album from the Japanese idol group AKB48. It was released on June 8th 2011 and came in three editions: Limited Edition CD+DVD, Regular Edition CD+DVD and Theatre Edition CD Only. I picked up the theatre edition as it was a good price but I'd love to get the limited edition one as you get a 100-page photobook which I bet looks gorgeous. The theatre edition is super cute with the Kami 7 featured on the front and back covers. My copy of ここにいたこと Koko ni Ita Koto came with the following contents:

• CD - 16 track album
• Jewel case
• OBI
• Lyrics booklet
• 14 alternative covers featuring the Senbatsu members

Aespa 2nd Mini Album Girls - Album Review (Retail Exclusive Edition)

Today's music review is actually a newer album and one that is still in print! Most reviews I post are for older albums from older groups however today I have an album to share from aespa! This mini was released in a few different versions and the one I have is the Retail Exclusive Edition. It is basically the Target Exclusive one but it was called the Retail Exclusive and was sold through JB Hi-Fi.

Girls is the 2nd Mini Album from Korean girl group aespa and it was released on July 8th 2022. The mini was released in eight versions: Kwangya, Real World, Girls, Target Exclusive, Rocket Puncher (Karina ver.), Armamenter (Winter ver.), Xenoglossy (Giselle ver.) and E.d Hacker (Ningning ver.). The mini album was available for pre-order and at JB Hi-Fi stores however only a few versions were available there. You could only get the digipack ones that come in these cardboard sleeves and it was disappointing as I wanted to get the Real World version as it was my favourite concept. I ended up ordering the Retail Exclusive one which had a cool cover of the girls and it was reasonably priced around $30. The Retail Exclusive edition I got came with the following contents:

• CD - 6 track mini
• Digipack casing
• English lyric booklet
• Lyric booklet
• Poster (Random 1 out of 4 members)
• Poster (Random 1 out of 2)
• Kwangya Version Photocard (Random 1 out of 4)
• Digipack Photocard (Random 1 out of 4)

One Year Challenge Week 37: Ribbons

Super cute theme for this week which is ribbons! Always able to make a stylish outfit with this theme and it usually falls within the style images I used. First up is a look that feels kind of glam/flirty to me and how comfy are long shirts with leggings. Best thing ever apart from the lack of pockets. Second outfit is my favourite as I love the combinations of pastels. In the last year or two, I've become a big fan of pastel colours and I love how the top isn't pure white but a hue that matches the skirt. Lastly we have a Lolita inspired look as ribbons are perfectly Lolita. I went with a gothic outfit as there was a number of pieces that had ribbons on them. The gold accents of the outfit look gorgeous. Of course I went with the ribbon curls for the hairstyle as it was too perfect.

After School 1st Project Single Happy Pledis 1st Single - Single Review

This particular K-pop single is one that I always forget is in my collection and I'm always like what is that when I see it on the shelf. We all have something like that in our collections and this one ended up in my After School collection. Not something I would've normally purchased and I only have it as it was part of a large After School set I brought second hand. Anyway let's take a quick look at this album!

Happy Pledis 1st Single is the first project single album from Korean girl group After School and the first release of the Happy Pledis project. It was only released in one version on December 7th 2010 and a follow up second single 'Happy Pledis 2012 'Love Letter' was released in 2009 with Son Dam Bi. It doesn't look like any photocards were released with this single and my second hand copy came with the following contents:

• CD - 4 track single
• Photobook

One Year Challenge Week 36: Least Favourite

Every Style Boutique player can admit they have their least favourite brand or items in the game. I've often spoken about items I dislike on the blog before and this weeks outfits are another case of that. First up we have some items I dislike using which are turtle necks, long necklaces and maxi skirts. I just don't like how they look in the game most of the time. Turtle necks you can get to work but maxi skirts I struggle with. Never been into them in real life either however I did have a friend years ago who looked amazing in them so they work for some people. Second outfit is made up of items from my least favourite brand which is Soy. Just never been a fan and I think if they overhauled the brand, I might take an interest. The reason for the third outfit was this style of outer. Like I don't get these giant jackets or is it even a jacket? More like a giant shirt.

Girls' Generation 3rd Album Repackage Mr. Taxi - Album Review

Speeding through these music reviews in recent weeks! No clue where this motivation came from and I will be shocked if I manage to post 10 before the middle of the year. Today we shall be looking at an album from the one and only Girls' Generation which is the Mr. Taxi repackage of their 3rd Album. This isn't a highly detailed album so the review is a little short but lovely.

Mr. Taxi is the 3rd Album from Korean girl group Girls' Generation and it was released on December 9th 2011. It is a repackage of the groups 3rd Album The Boys which was previously released on October 19th 2011 in multiple countries. I actually own the International version of this album that I got through Amazon US and I got this Mr. Taxi album from JB Hi-Fi. My copy was brand new and came with the following contents:

• CD - 13 track album
• 12 postcards
• Photocard (random from 9 types)
• SM Town flyer

March Favourites

OMG I cannot believe I forget to post the monthly favourites for February :( It was such a busy time and the first week went by rather fast. Well I'm here for March at least and have a few things to report for this month!

Gaming

Been obssessed with pixel art games on the Nintendo Switch and have played way too many hours. I brought a stack of them during the Boxing Day sales and it is so relaxing to sit down after work and colour in. Even brought a stylus for my switch and now I cannot go back to not using one. It was a life changer and is also great for jigsaw games which is my other obsession! My top games are Love Colours, Calm Colours and Pixel Paint. For jigsaw ones, I love Hatsune Miku Jigsaw Puzzle and Jigsaw Masterpieces.

Seems like old news however I haven't mentioned it on the blog yet that there is a new fashion game coming to the switch. It is called Fashion Dreamer and honestly I'm not really going to say much on it until we know more details. All I know is that I'm definitely going to miss the management simulator aspect if it is missing. I'm not sure about the whole influencer thing or maybe I'm just too old haha. I will be patiently waiting for more information regarding game play especially if it is mostly to be played online.

Beauty

2023 was going to be a low-buy make-up year for me but I have zero self control so that went out the window quickly once Colourpop had a sale. Picked up a number of lovely items including some last-call products. The package is taking a long time to reach Australia though and is just going around in transit circles at the same facility. I did manage to buy a few items this weekend whilst shopping but they were just repurchases. I needed a new NYX glitter primer as mine had expired and the Chi Chi lip balm set was to match the other set I brought a few months ago. This one comes with Cherry, Blueberry and Grape which two smell amazing whilst the Cherry doesn't have a strong scent. Picked up more Wet N Wild brushes as I was pleased with the last one I got.

One Year Challenge Week 35: Logo

Logos are a quintessential item to the Style Boutique series and I feel we all recognise the top from the first look. I swear it has looked the same in every single game apart from when the words were changed for different regions sometimes. April Bonbon is the queen of logo items for me as it just has so many crazy looking items. I stuck with only one lively look for the logo theme and it is very party suitable. Next we have a classic girly look which is giving off a casual feel. This is definitely something I would wear on a daily basis and I love the black and pink combo. Last look is a rock look as Stage Dive has some funky logos to be found there.