Aaaaaand it's Monday. (Easy tutorial day!)

(Can't you tell just how EXCITED I am about this? No? Really?)

If you've been following today's Facebook posts, you've seen that there is, in fact, a horrible case of The Mondays sweeping through the stuido today. Even my cats haven't come to life yet, and there's fresh food in their dish(which they go nuts for on every other day of the week). 

I figured that this video is quite fitting for the day. :) It's a simple, super cute tutorial by JemmaKuma for a simple, everyday kawaii makeup look, perfect for days like this when maybe you just don't feel like dealing with blending ombre shadows or lining your lower lash line. 

Her tutorial is easy to follow, she explains each step in detail, and shows what brands and colors of makeup she uses. She also gets interrupted by a spider. xD 

She has lots of cute makeup and hair tutorials on her channel. :)

She also has a second channel, Jemminem, where she posts random fun things, skits, rants, and other musings. :)  Both are highly recommended. 

Well, I should probaby log off before my boyfriend's computer bursts into flames or something equally heinous/Mondayish. Stay out of trouble, kids! 

-Vik 

Beyond the Gray Sky

So, for the last week or so, this blog has been quiet.

Shortly before we relaunched my grandmother lost a hard-fought battle to stage four lung cancer. 

After the relaunch we needed some time to absorb the loss, so to speak, and to grieve. I am also helping my aunt close her accounts, and am planning a trip back to Northern California for her memorial. It's been chaotic, to say the least. 

My grandmother raised me, and she taught me the value of hard work, and that good things and accomplishments require a lot of it. She was a strong, independent woman who owned her own business, and I got that same spirit from her. I am who I am today because of her, and it is because of her guidance and support that I was able to launch Candy Graffiti. 

She was my biggest fan, my loudest cheerleader, and my best friend. She was taken way too soon. She is loved, and missed tremendously.

Your regularly schedule blogging will resume at some point this week. :) 

We have launched! Giveaway winners/free shipping/new items!

We are live!

We launched this morning, and to celebrate we are offering free shipping on all US orders until the end of the month! Use coupon code RELAUNCH at Etsy checkout. The website shipping has been adjusted accordingly. 

Speaking of the website...it's up and running too! 

We drew winners for the giveaway at noon. Congratulations to the winners! Two are minors, so I'm not posting names yet without parental consent.

We had a slight delay in posting new inventory because my cat had to go to the vet. But I started posting as soon as I got back. :3 Here's what we have so far: 

There will be more before day's end. :) 

I also finished a new shirt design that I'm hopefully going to unveil tonight! :) 

It's been a great launch so far!

Visual Kei Wednesday: FABULOUS Makeup Tutorial

So...it looks like the Visual Kei Wednesday column will be a bi-weekly thing. xD And it's very late this week.

Sorry about that. Life is chaos right now. 

Anywho, to make up for not posting last Wednesday I present to you a tutorial of epic proportions! 

I absolutely LOVE this tutoral! It's detailed, but the steps are easy to follow, and the results are so worth it! KisaMake has lots of amazing makeup tutorials on YouTube. In the video description there is a list of the makeup used, and it is shown in the video as well. Tutorials are usually spoken in Japanese, but there are English translations. :) 
I will definitely be giving this look a try, minus the foundation(so my face doesn't turn into the breakout from Hell), and experimenting with eyeshadow colors. I want to try purple and yellow, as well as red and orange. I haven't used bindis in a long time, I should probably go restock now. :P
If you give it a try, let us know in the comments what you come up with! :) Also go check out KisaMake's YouTube channel for more tutorials! 
Until next time...stay fabulous!
-Vik

Launch Progress

So far so good!

We have lots of entries in our giveaway(thirty so far!) and we're still working on new inventory to release on our official relaunch date!

The drawing for the giveaway will be held at noon on June 21. We will be announcing the winners at one. We are also working on getting a YouTube channel up and running so we can bring you awesome behind-the-scenes content from photo shoots, fashion shows, and cons/festivals we attend! :D We are also working on shooting some Visual Kei inventory.

There will be no Visual Kei Wednesday column this week on account of my being crazy busy, but there should be one next week!

-Vik 

Giveaways!!!

To celebrate our relaunch, we will be giving away a series of small lucky packs! 

Three packs will be given away: a pop kei pack, a fairy kei pack, and a summer pack. Each pack is valued at $30. 

Pack details are listed below!

Pop Kei Pack Includes:

-Vintage Rainbow Bangle Bracelet

-Rainbow Heart Pearl Stretch Bracelet

-1 pair of spiked earrings in a color of your choosing(I will send a pic of all the colors to the winners so they can see all the colors we carry)

-Rainbow Dash Spiked Necklace

-Wrapped Candy Adjustable Ring(Choose between yellow or blue)

Fairy Kei pack includes:

-Pink Hello Kitty Bow Stud Earrings

-Pastel Rainbow Heart Pearl Stretch Bracelet

-Pastel Pink Winged Rhinestone Heart Adjustable Ring

-1 pair of rhinestone heart clips in a color of your choice

-Pink My Melody Neckace with Vintage Rhinestone

Summer Pack includes:

-1 Pair Flip Flop Stud Earrings

-Rhinestone Ice Cream Cone Necklace

-1 Pair Ice Cream Cone Decora Snap Clips

-1 Smiling Sun Adustable Ring

-Lavender Star Pearl Stretch Bracelet

There are two ways to enter: 
Like the Instagram post here. Comment on which pack you'd like to win. If no pack is specified one will be drawn at random. You can specify one or two specific packs you'd like to win, or simply any of the three. :) 
If you do not have Instagram you can leave a comment on this blog post. Like Instagram, you can enter to win a specific pack, two, or all three. 

And now, the annoying but required rules/etc...

Please read the rules before entering!

The post will be promoted via Tumblr but due to their giveaway and contest guidelines we are conducting the actual contest on Instagram and through our blog. Tumblr bars anyone under the age of 18 from entering a contest or giveaway, and they limit the particpants to the country of the giveaway host, which in my case is the United States. To keep things as simple as possible and to open the giveaway to as many people as possible I opted for Instagram, which, after painstaking research, appears to not have these restrictions. :3

-Following us is not required, but if you followed us somewhere on the internets(Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter) we'd appreciate it greatly. :3

Other rules/regulations/required legal fodder:

EDIT AS OF JUNE 12, 2014: Multiple likes/comments do not increase your chances of winning. Once you're entered, it's an even playing field. 

The giveaway will close at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time(California Time) on June 20th, 2014. Entries will not be accepted past the deadline. We will be drawing winners at noon on June 21st, 2014(Pacific Time). 

-If a winner is under 18 you must have a signed permission form from a parent or legal guardian. I will email the winner this form and it MUST be returned to me within two weeks, either by email(scanned copy) or snail mail. If the form is not returned to me(postmarked/timestamped) by July 5, 2014 @ 11:59 PM a new winner will be drawn. 

-Winners will recieve one lucky pack. I will contact the winners on June 21st, 2014 to get your mailing address and any other information needed. This information will not be shared with anyone, for any purpose other than mailing you your lucky pack. Privacy is important! As soon as I receive your information I will mail your lucky pack. Lucky packs will be sent via the US Postal Service First Class Mail, regardless of whether or not you live in the United States. 

-Winners will not have to pay shipping fees. International winners are responsible for any taxes/fees/tarriffs that may incur, which vary depending on the laws in your country.

-Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Etsy, IndieMade and Instagram are not affiliated with Candy Graffiti in any way. They are not, in any way, responsible for, or sponsoring in whole or in part, any of the prizes or promotion of this giveaway. They are not liable for anything relating or pertaining to this giveaway. Participants fully release these entities from any liability, legal or otherwise, upon entering.

-Spam/Promo Only/Giveaway Only accounts are not elegible to enter and will be disqualified if an attempt to enter is made. Using these accounts to enter the giveaway is not fair to the other participants!

-The only way to enter the giveaway is through Instagram or commenting on this blog entry. Any attempts to enter the contest ouside Instagram and our blog are not valid entries and will not be counted. 

-Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of entries recived. Void where prohibited by United States and international law. 

As always, if you have any questions, please don't be afraid to ask us! We don't bite. :3 

Good luck, have fun, and be fabulous! <3
-Vik

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New Feature: Visual Kei Wednesday!

I ADORE Visual Kei fashion. While I've been heavily designing fairy and pop kei for the past several months, I myself prefer to dress in the style of Visual Kei. 

Since I'm making a fresh start with the Candy Graffiti brand I find it fitting that I found this video very late last Monday night. :)

If you've always wanted to get into visual kei fashion but were perhaps a bit overwhelmed at the heavy styling this is a fantastic video tutorial on how to get started on creating your own visual kei style. Iasha Masood gives great pointers on how to start with a very basic but very elegant visual kei outfit, and she also gives a makeup tutorial, complete with details on what brands and colors of makeup she uses and why. She also touches on an often-ignored but very important aspect of visual kei fashion: it is heavily rooted in music.

She also has several lolita fashion tutorials on her YouTube channel, and some great advice for handling naysayers and trolls. Check out her channel here. It's fantastic.
Next week I'll write about what I've found are some of the best key visual kei pieces to invest in to create a good solid wardrobe.
Happy Wednesday! :3 ~Vik

6% DOKI DOKI Expands its Web Shop Internationally

6% DOKI DOKI tweeted this morning that the web shop has been expanded to include international shipping options! 

Prices are still in Japanese yen but it appears that they do convert international currency, so look up the exchage rates in your country before you order. Listings are in English as well. :) 

The listings are very well-detailed, and even have a list of the materials used in each piece of jewelry and clothing. There's a section full of the shop girl's picks too! 

Check out their revamped shop here.

What pieces do you want most from their store? Let us know in the comments!

-Vik

Harajuku Decora Meetup

So last week in Harajuku @0326decora organized a decora meetup!
Decora is one of my my all time favorite styles of Japanese fashion. So many bright colors and layers! <3
Decora has declined in recent months but there's still a strong, loyal following and they came to the meetup in their best, brightest outfits. :) Tokyo Fashion was invited to cover the event, and they did a fantastic job. You can check out the video below:

I got a ton of inspration from everyone's outfits! I'll be doing some sketches this week.  You can read their writeup here, and the will be posting photos of everyone's outfit soon, and I can't wait to see them!   @0326decora has posted photos from the meetup and walk on their Twitter feed as well.  
If you look at some of the outfits you can see that some decora girls are starting to mix in shironuri to their look. I think it looks fabulous! What do you think? Let us know in the comments! 
Until next time! :3 -Vik

New Shop Arrivals & How to Get Fetsu Chan's Look

Happy Monday!

Last week I got caught up and posted three new crop tops in the Etsy shop! As per usual, click the photo to see their respective listings. All are $10 USD, plus $3.50 shipping. 

In other news...

Fetsu Chan has put together a really cool time-lapse video of how she puts her trademark look together! 

She includes the brands and colors of makeup she uses, as well as what kind of makeup tools she uses her wig, and where to get all of it. See the whole process in her video below: 

Until next time! <3

Launch Goodies for Preorder!

I got some things up for preorder! :D Click the phots to see their respective Etsy listings.

Ten of each necklace are available for preorder($15 each, USD), and three pairs of each color of the earrings are available($5 USD). They will ship on June 21st when we officially relaunch! 

Stay tuned for more updates!