(image heavy and word heavy)
A few months ago, the Etsy shop
Nerdy Little Secrets had made a post regarding a new model search that they had begun- and well me, who has ogled over their items for a long time, panicked, and immediately put together a portfolio to apply for the job!
What initially attracted me to the webstore was their wonderful mix up japanese street fashion inspired accessories (that can coordinate with every sort of lolita and fairy kei outfit)
and their large range of nerdy (hence the name~) inspired jewelry! Whether you are a lover of all things cute and pastel, or maybe are involved in a fandom like Avatar the Last Airbender, Pokemon, or Sailormoon, I can guarantee you will find yourself at home looking at Nerdy Little Secrets goodies!
Writing this review now, one can assume that I did in fact get the job and I am more than pleased that I did because not only do I get to support such a lovely online store but the owner is such a doll and I am more than thrilled to help this business prosper. Unfortunately, due to family circumstances (that include me moving 45 minutes away from my hometown and unable really to access my photographer friend at the moment) and the heat I have been unable to produce modeling photos, so while I wait for that to happen I thought I'd share all of my new treasures and tell you about all of the cool things this store has to offer!
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Considering I have never done a review on here before I'm going to give you a quick rundown of how this is going to work: I'm going to show you pictures of each item, describe them, and then at the end do a collective shop review with the topics Shipping, Quality, Design, and Overall Customer Satisfaction- all rated on a scale of 1-10. If you don't feel like reading all of my ramblings (which is perfectly understandable considering I talk quite a bit) feel free to just look at all of the pictures and then read my general overall store review!
Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you all enjoy~~!
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My NLS packaged arrived safe in sound in a bubble wrap envelope clearly labeled fragile on the front!
(The lady at the post office put question marks on it because it was addressed to Prince and she was just very confused- it was quite amusing!)
I think shipping is one of those things that some people take for granted when ordering things, but it is very important because if an item is not shipped out properly it could be harmed! Luckily, NLS had wrapped each item in an individual baggy, and even put the larger ones in bubble wrap!
(Receiving a package like this felt like Christmas! I was a very good kid this year!)
Since everything was shipped so neatly (and separately), nothing was harmed or tangled when I took them out of the packages.
I was sent: 3 resin necklaces, 1 large bone hair clip, 2 small bone hair clips, 2 bat hair clips, 1 octopus necklace, 1 pair of horns, and 1 pair of antlers. I'll start off by reviewing the bone clips, and then make my way through the other items!
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So here I have pictured the large bone clip as well as the two smaller bone clips~ The large one,
sold here, is offered in a variety of pastel colors so you can choose to your liking! (And unfortunately the smaller clips are not on the site as we speak but I will review them anyway!) Now, in the past I have bought a few different bone clips due to the whole creepy cute look trending now, but I admit in the past the other ones have been cracked, or had little dents on them- to my surprise, these seemed to be rather flawless! The resin is smooth throughout, and there were no visible flaws that I took notice of. They are all extremely sturdy as well, and I don't see them breaking any time soon!
On the back of each bone is an alligator clip (in which I find to be the most comfortable of all clips)!
The large one works really well accessorized with a top bun, just as worn by Pebbles from the Flinstones and the smaller clips can be paired together, worn by themselves, and can work with a variety of hairstyles!
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Staying on the creepy-cute theme, next we have these cute little bat hair clips!
Just as the bone clips were, these are made with resin, and are very sturdy despite the fragile looking shape of them! Something I really love about these clips is how they aren't just made from solid resin but instead include things like glitter inside of them! It's just a little touch that makes them extra cute~~! These little guys also have alligator clips on the backs:
Again, I see now flaws or cracks in their shape, and the clips attached are on tight and they don't appear as though they will fall off of their base.
The clips are also a fairly good size measuring about 1-2 inches across.
You can buy one pink batty hair clip
here, or request a different color if pink doesn't suit you!
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Now moving onto the pastel purple horns!
Nerdy Little Secrets offers horns in a variety of different colors, but you can find lavender ones similar to mine
here~! These little guys are about an inch tall, and instead of sticking straight up, have a little curve at the tip of their horn~ I personally find the shape very appealing! As far as the actual construction is concerned, for being hand shaped they are rather smooth! They are also lightweight, but not fragile~ Superb!
On the bottom of each horn is an alligator clip!
When it comes to styling something like these, it will be best to either use a wig, or already have the hair bobbypined, or pulled back or they will not stay properly. (although, this is normal for any sort of horn clip that is not stationed on a headband!)
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Next we have the deer antlers:
The antlers are very similar to the horns in that: they come in a variety of different colors, they are attached to alligator clips, and they need to be styled the same way (here is a
link to the listing for dark brown- feel free to browse the shop for other colors)
The antlers are all about 2 inches tall, and appear to be a really good size (and sturdy when wearing them). I think my only complaint regarding the antlers is they are not as made as smooth as the other products, but I don't see that as a big deal considering that that adds to the appeal of having antlers.
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Time to move onto necklaces! Necklaces is a category I saved for last because I think that necklaces that Nerdy Little Secrets has are some of the best items they have to offer! When it comes to the animal necklaces, my absolute favorite is this little octopus~!
There is just something so incredibly charming about the design of this little character! I really can't say enough about this necklace- The color choice, shape of the tentacles, the cute expression, and the extra heart detail makes him very appealing. The necklace itself is also very durable, and does not appear to be very breakable. You can purchase one of your own
here or check out the rest of NLS's tentacle themed jewelry!
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Now finally, my favorite part- the resin necklaces.
Before I go into the review of the necklaces themselves- let me tell you about resin for a moment. You see, I am going to open up my own shop in the future, and thought maybe I should research how to make these cute resin necklaces and well- it's a lot of work. And not just a lot of work, but it looks rather hard too. Looking into the resin making process gave me a new love for Nerdy Little Secrets necklaces because I just have such a great appreciation for their work.
I was lucky enough to receive three resin necklaces! The one on the left is one of the small necklaces, and the two on the right are the standard size.
The necklaces that NLS offers include lots of Japanese characters such as
My Melody,
Little Twin Stars, and
Rilakkuma! All of my necklaces are Korilakkuma themed because well... She's like my all time favorite character ;w; Anyway~! NLS also has cute animal themed ones such as this one
here! What really, really draws me in with these necklaces are the colors! Instead of simply being a solid color, or even sparkly background, behind the cute characters is glitter and confetti! You can tell that the design of them at least took some thought because they are very cohesive and overall just the cutessstttt little things~~!
There are also little pearls in them~! Eep~!
Other things that make these necklaces so appealing:
- The size: they can either be used as a statement piece, or together with many different necklaces
- The length: LONG. THEY ARE LONG AND IF I'M WEARING A TANKTOP THEY WILL NOT AWKWARDLY FALL IN MY CHEST CAVITIES SO IT IS WONDERFUL. (clearly I am very very enthusiastic about the length c;)
- The chain: All of the chains come in pastel colors which is a nice touch! When it comes to coordinating sweet fashions all of the little things make a huge difference!
- The durability: They are so well made! The charm itself and how they are connected are very sturdy.
Overall, these necklaces are my favorite items out of everything! If you decide to order something from Nerdy Little Secrets and have trouble on choosing what to get, I highly recommend one of these!
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Now that I have reviewed each individual product, it's time to review the shop as a whole:
Shipping: 9/10
The way all of the items are packaged and sealed I would say you can trust that all of your items will arrive safe and sound with no damage! Each item was wrapped individually with care, and put in a bubble wrap envelope for extra safety. My only concern (and why it's not a 10/10) is that when you are ordering please make note if it says Made To Order under the picture! If it does, make a mental note that it will not be a speedy delivery because the item has to be made first. Nerdy Little Secrets makes a point of mentioning that under each item that is Made To Order so there is no confusion! If you are interested in ordering from them, and wanting to receive a quick delivery, I recommend buying the resin necklaces because they are premade c:
Quality: 9.5/10
You can tell there is a lot of love in all of these items! My only concern was with the antlers, and that was a very minor concern. Besides that, every single item was sturdy, and did not appear to be breakable even if it seemed to be a fragile part. All of the little figures, and animal charms are purely handmade (with no mold, unlike resin) and some of the clean cut edges are very impressive. Everything was just extremely well made, and well put together. All of the clips were attached tight (with no visible hot glue or glue of any kind) and the necklace bases and chains were also very durable.
Designs: 10/10
I wish I could give the design category more than a 10 because everything was just designed so well. Everything from the resin necklaces, to little characters, to fandom things- everything was just so cute, and so appealing. I think a lot of the designs are also refreshing! I find that in the j-fashion community a lot of jewelry can seem repetitive- well, when shopping here you can find a variety of unique accessories mixed in with other trending accessories such as the horns.
Overall Customer Satisfaction: 10/10
I really only have great things to say about Nerdy Little Secrets! Of all of the cute/kawaii webshops you have seen, I would personally put this one somewhere at the top of the list! Everything is cute, well made, and even well priced! They really offer a large variety of different products, and I feel like there's definitely something for everyone there!
Congratulations, Nerdy Little Secrets! A+ !
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Happy Shopping
