Konekocon 2025 - My con hype was seemingly on vacation

Hello guys~ 

Less than two months into this year and I'm already writing a con report? Must be some sort of a record, honestly. 
But yeah, this is my report of Konekocon 2025 which was held on 1st of February at Kuopio, more precisely at Kuopion Taidelukio Lumit. If you wonder why the name of the event sounds familiar it's because Konekocon is actually a "kitten" version of Nekocon (I mean it's quite literally in the name)! 

The entrance to the con building.

(All pictures are - as per usual - taken by Shiro Samurai).

We - meaning Shiro Samurai and I - left for Kuopio on 31st of January, also known as the day before the con. This time we took the train to Kuopio since my car doesn't really like winter that much (also known as I didn't really trust it to take us to our destination and back) and this also affected our choice of an accommodation.

You see, usually we stay at the Rauhalahti Spa when we're in this very specific part of eastern Finland. However, it's located a few kilometers away from the city center and thus it became a part of "not on option" list quite quickly when we started going through our options a couple of months before the con. Why was that an issue this time? Well, we didn't have the car this time and there was no way we would pay 20+ euros per each taxi needed since neither of us is Flintheart Glomgold ^^'
It was at this point when I remembered one thing. Back in the days when my family still traveled all over Finland with me when I attended conventions we used to reserve a room at Sokos Hotel Puijonsarvi when we were at Kuopio. I think we were once in Scandic but I have a feeling it wasn't as good option for some reason. I quickly checked the hotel's website and noticed that the rooms still had an affordable price - and after a few clicks the accommodation for the weekend was secured. Phew!

Eventually we arrived at Kuopio, took a taxi to the hotel and checked in. After that we dumped our stuff to our room and pretty much immediately headed out to scout for a place where we'd eat dinner. It didn't take us too long to find a Nepalese restaurant which was located in a shopping center called Apaja. The food was really delicious and even though the restaurant wasn't exactly cheap I sure would eat there again!

After dinner we walked back to the hotel and watched National Geographic for the rest of the evening and I miserably failed in trying to get some con hype. Eventually we went to sleep - I think neither of us slept that well though since it was so damn warm in the room. I need to take medicine these days so I could have a proper sleep and even that didn't really help me sooooo... :)))
Morning came way too quickly and I had zero interest to get up but obviously had to unless I wanted to skip the hotel breakfast. Since neither of us didn't want to do that mistake we zombied our ways downstairs and ate a very yummy breakfast! 
...still a bit salty about not getting a macaron though. When I try to make those at home I always manage to burn them a common skill issue but they also cost a lot at a grocery store so yeah, I was a bit disappointed for not getting one :((

When we had eaten it was time to shower and put on a costume - which, in my case, meant a shiny Jigglypuff gijinka! 
...and guess if putting on the costume went smoothly? Nooooooope. I have literally no idea what had cursed our con morning but clearly something since things were so difficult, especially doing the make-up! D:< Shiro Samurai's eyeliner wings ended up being quite asymmetrical and my face didn't want to co-operate at all. Most of my eye shadows didn't have enough pigment - eventually the one I picked doesn't even show in the pics so that was a good-for-nothing headache -, I kept fucking up my eyeliner and had a blending hell with my blush and almost ended up looking like a fucking clown! -__- I first considered putting on some fake eyelashes for extra cuteness but I probably would have glued them onto my eyeballs so I skipped them. 
Next time I will count the perkeles during the make-up show and publish the result in that con's summary.

Eventually we were ready to leave for the con. We took a taxi since it was quite slippery and it looked like it was going to start raining so yeah, nope. 
It didn't take us long to arrive at Lumit and the first thing we did was exchanging our PDF tickets to wristbands. We had agreed on taking some proof pictures of our costumes after that since there still was some natural light outside. And, as you can probably guess at this point, it didn't go very smoothly. I mean we had fun but it took quite a while to get decent pics since I ended up looking like a damn puffer fish most of the time :'D

Character: Jigglypuff (gijinka)
Source: Pokémon
Cosplayer: yours truly
Photos & edit: Shiro Samurai

"You weren't paying attention? Well, what kind of mustache do you want? >:C"

I don't know how to be cute okay ;__;

After taking pics we went inside since it wasn't exactly warm outside lol.

The cloak room area.

The 1st floor lobby.

To be honest I felt a bit... I don't know. "Disappointed" isn't exactly the word but I to be honest I had expected to see a bit more theme-related decorations etc. Yes, I wanted kittens in my life. I also know that the event had at least 500 attendants but somehow the venue seemed quite empty. There were 1000 tickets for sale but the event never got sold out so yeah, the venue was a bit too spacious for the amount of people there. Usually it's the other way around; I think that this is the first time I've ever seen it be this way.

The first thing we checked out was the Artists' Alley/Merchandise Hall which was located in the gym hall - also known as the same room where the gaming consoles were located in Nekocon. There was plenty of space to move around and personally I think this was one of the best Artists' Alley experiences I've ever had! 

Omg so much space!

I didn't buy that much stuff this time though; just a few humorous stickers I decorated my calendar with (can't remember the artist, sorry!)  and a pair of black spider earrings made by bunicorn_design, also known as Momo. I've known them approximately for 10 years but since we don't live close to each other we don't meet that often. It was so nice to chat with them and their assistant (who recognized me before I recognized her, oops)! 💓

After checking out the Artists' Alley we decided to check out the flea market... Which, to be honest, turned out to be quite interesting experience and not in a good way. I don't really mind that the tables were pretty empty - I mean, that's something that can't be affected since it's dependent on whether people want to sell their stuff there or not. But could someone teach people about pricing policy? I mean... At least I'm not ready to pay 20-30 euros for an item that is about to break into pieces even from a very gentle touch. 

Of course it's more than okay to sell stuff you have made yourself - just check its condition first and let that define the value. Something that comes apart just by looking at it is definitely not worth 20 euros or more.

After shaking our heads in disbelief for a few minutes we decided to check the second floor of the building. There we found some non-stop activities, such as gaming room and a karaoke room. There was also 'silent room' - a place where one can hang out in total silence. They have become more and more common in conventions and I think that they are seriously a wonderful thing; if someone gets overwhelmed or anxious or just wants some peace during a hectic con day they can just go there and charge their social batteries. 

Karaoke going on.

The gaming room.

The stairs leading to the first floor and the stage.

I have a small complaint about the karaoke though. I mean, it was mostly very well hosted (and the microphones' volume was really low so the singer's voice couldn't be heard - perfect for people who want to sing but are anxious about their voice) but the queuing system was basically non-existent. I would have wanted to sing at least something - would have even fit the character! - but when I realized that getting a singing turn was a speed competition I gave up and just sat there for a while, watching others sing. 

I seriously do hope that this gets fixed in the future. A clear queuing system is always the best in these kind of programs; at least I don't really find it fun to run for the mic to get a turn. 

After a while we decided to go to the main lobby. The program we intended to check out - Snowflake Harmony, a Miku Hatsune dance show - was about to start anyway so yeah, we left the karaoke room and almost immediately walked to Black Box, also known as the room where the dance show was hosted. 

Emi as Miku Hatsune.

I really didn't know what to expect from the show; I mean, the host was a minor and this was her first time performing solo. But I must say that she did very well; the lip sync was basically perfect, her dancing skills were good (and the choreographies were at least mostly the correct ones!) and she even interacted fluently with the audience in between the dances - and stayed in character all the time! Performing is a skill that can always be developed further but I must say that she's off to a great start on that path.

And it took me a week to get World Is Mine out of my head.

This kind of made me want to start dancing again tbh. When I was younger I used to dance but had to quit the hobby many years ago - and I have missed it ever since. I have never been talented in most sports but dancing was something I actually enjoyed... Well, maybe in the future since I actually have some cosplay plans related to dancing!

...though I must really polish my skills before that. They're very rusty lol.

After Snowflake Harmony we considered watching the cosplay catwalk which was the last program of the day but eventually gave up on that idea since we were quite tired and just wanted to get something to eat lol. 

At the hotel we took off our costumes and relaxed for a while before walking to a nearby (very cheap but very good) pizzeria to eat.

#tired

Some drinks and snacks for the evening!

We stayed at the hotel for two nights which means that in Sunday morning it was time to eat some hotel breakfast, pack our bags and check out of the hotel - and that basically was the end of our Konekocon weekend.

I must say that I'm not very likely to attend Konekocon again. 

By this I don't mean that it would have been all bad or anything; it did have its moments, there was a lot of entertainment and Lumit is a good building for hosting a convention since there is a lot of space and it's very near to the city center. So yeah, not all bad and definitely worth checking out if you live at or near Kuopio!

But is this con really worth traveling from the north, paying for the train tickets, accommodation etc.? To that I must sadly answer no. Konekocon was a nice experience but it kind of... Lacked something. I don't know if it's the lack of people, the problems with the current time of the year or what, but I just somehow didn't get the con hype I usually do (eventually). I also didn't feel like I would've belonged to the target audience of the con; I mean, I felt like I was 10-15 years older than most of the other con visitors! D: 

So yes, this was very likely my first and last Konekocon. I will still attend the summer version since I've always enjoyed it, but this... Wasn't really my cup of tea.

The next convention of the year is right behind the corner - and guess who is at the organizing end again? :D So yes, expect to see another con summary (and a bunch of circle lens reviews) in the near future~!

Until next time.

-Firith

Circle lens review: I.Fairy Ash Brown

Hello everybody~!
It's time for the first circle lens review of 2025 - and also time for the last circle lens review of the oldest batch I had lying around! This time we're reviewing a beautiful brown lens, namely I.Fairy Ash Brown. Let's roll!
My photographer for this review was - as per usual - Shiro Samurai, thank you! ^^ 

Important note: I got these lenses from someone who totally lost interest in wearing and reviewing circle lenses. These lenses had a wrong prescription for me and I think that these were close to their expiration date/already expired so I can not grade the comfort. However, I will say a few words about the comfort in general - pretty much my first impression of these. Remember: wearing lenses that are past their expiration date/broken/have the wrong prescription for you is a dangerous thing to do and it can damage your eyes for good so seriously, don't do it. I wore these lenses for half an hour and then threw them away so I had these on only for this review. Thank you.

And, just like before, this circle lens review is non-sponsored.

The vials of the lenses.

The lenses in their vials.

Base curve: 8,6 mm
Diameter: 16,2 mm
Water content: 55 %
Life span: 1 year (I recommend 6 months)

Inserting these was pretty easy. No curling up around my finger, no stingy feeling, nothing of the sort. The only thing I do recall though that I started seeing double after inserting these; however I think these lenses were among the oldest ones of the batch so that combined with the wrong prescription likely plays a part here. These also felt a bit thicker than the other I.Fairy lenses I reviewed that day even though their stats state pretty much the same.

One lens in to show the enlargement.

Huh. To be honest I expected these to look more enlarging than they do. I mean, of course the enlargement effect is there and it is notable, but frankly I expected these to deliver a bit more. I can't say that these would have been a disappointment, not at all! These just didn't quite meet the expectations I had for these.
I have a feeling it might be partly because of the print and color. In the vials these lenses look quite mysterious and they even seem to have hints of gold in them in certain light conditions; however in my eyes these look surprisingly natural despite being enlarging lenses. And speaking of these factors I must first say that I love the color. It's warm brown, one of my favorite colors in circle lenses 💓There are slightly lighter shades of brown too which makes these lenses quite vibrant - and give them a softer and more natural look. 
These also look surprisingly good in my light-colored eyes; these look like these were designed to enhance dark eyes (the claim based on the design of these) but they do deliver in gray eyes too!

The print... It doesn't look very natural up close, I admit that. For some reason it slightly reminds me of both a Bengal cat and roaring fire, especially with this color combination. However these do look surprisingly natural from afar which makes these perfect for those "casual alt" looks; I could see myself wearing these to a witchcore inspired outfit, for example. 
I wouldn't use these as cosplay lenses though. Even though these are quite pigmented and have a very thick limbal ring giving those anime aesthetics... I wouldn't call I.Fairy Ash Brown a cosplay lens. Or at least I can't think of a character with eyes like this, OCs making exceptions. 

Let's continue - to the lens photos!

These pictures were taken on a rather cloudy day in June 2021. These aren't filtered in any way; they've only been re-sized.

Natural roomlight.

Yellow roomlight.

Bathroom light.

Flash photo.

Facing window.

Back against the sun.

Facing the sun.

From the distance.

• The color is 9/10. Beautiful, warm, vibrant brown. The only thing that bothers me a bit is that the color doesn't - in my opinion - really match the name of the product.
  
  
• The design is 9/10. It's outstanding but not too "in your face".
  
  
• The opacity is 9/10. The lens is very pigmented on the parts there is actually color. On light eyes the pupil hole lets your own eye color through quite a bit though but well, almost every dark lens in light eyes does that.
  
  
• The naturalness is 4/10. These look surprisingly natural from a distance despite of the enlargement effect. Wouldn't call these actually natural though.
  
  
• The enlargement 8/10. The effect is there but it's not as notable as one could expect from a lens of this brand.
  
  

So there it is, the last review of the oldest batch! 
Doesn't mean that this would have been the last one of the reviews in which I can't grade the comfort for the reasons stated in the beginning of the review though; there are quite many of them to be written but hey, at least they won't be from 2021... 😅

My next post will likely be a circle lens review, a Konekocon cosplay plan reveal or a con summary -  we'll see which one it is when the time comes~!

Until next time.

-Firith

Cosplay year 2024 - Witchy time!

Hello everyone~!

It's been a while since I last made one of these posts; the last one seems to be from... Uh... 2017 (under the 2018 year tag)... Oops. In my defense I have quite recently started attending cons and making costumes again after many silent years so yeah, some mercy please :'D 
2024 sure was a blast, both my personal life and cosplay-wise! In December 2023 I graduated from school (Library and Information Services, Bachelor of Business Administration) and in January 2024 I moved to the north since I had been hired to work here as a librarian. So yes, finally I'm where I feel like I belong to. Unfortunately, the year wasn't all rainbows and sunshine; I'm very likely to get a few - quite severe - diagnoses in the near future and I must admit that there are months of which I really don't remember that much. However, I do believe that next year will be a lot better mental health wise too! ❤

Despite all the struggles and all I traveled all over Finland and attended multiple conventions. The con line-up of 2024 looks like this:

Kummacon - Oulu, Finland
Nekocon - Kuopio, Finland
Mericon - Rauma, Finland
Matsucon - Oulu, Finland
Gingacon - Tampere, Finland
Northern Lights Anime Party - Rovaniemi, Finland

My favorite event was Nekocon, there's literally no competition of the first place. This doesn't mean I wouldn't have enjoyed the other conventions too, I really did! It's just that at Nekocon I actually was able to relax properly - this may have had something to do with staying at a spa hotel but anyway. I also like Kuopio as a city a lot and even though it was hot af outside I can't really complain; the weather was beautiful and the convention was very well hosted. 
It's also probably because it was literally the only convention of the year where I didn't work or compete. Again, don't get me wrong. I enjoy competing and working at conventions - even as an organizer, like I did in Mericon. Sometimes it's just good to relax for the weekend, enjoy the hobby and get photos of your costume without having a rush. 

STUFF I DID IN CONVENTIONS

I competed at Matsucon, Gingacon and Northern Lights Anime Party.
I was a volunteer worker at Kummacon and Matsucon.
I was one of the organizers behind Mericon (and in 2025 I will be the person responsible for the cosplay competition and everything related to that so the mantle of the main organizer isn't on my shoulders anymore).
I hosted a book talk at Kummacon. 

🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑

I also debuted two new costumes; Alicia from the original Moominvalley series and Kiki from the Ghibli movie Kiki's Delivery Service. Seemingly I had some sort of a witchy theme in 2024; I assure you, it was not intended but it just happened lol. I also half-considered making Klee from Genshin Impact at some point of the year but never got around that, would have fit the theme though.

Thanks Shiro Samurai for the compilation pic! ^.^

I cosplayed Alicia at Kummacon and Northern Lights Anime Party.
I cosplayed Kiki at Nekocon (Saturday), Matsucon (Saturday) and Gingacon.
At Mericon I wore a pirate-y tavern keeper inspired outfit. I also wore an alternative fashion outfit on Nekocon's Sunday.  

I have also kind of made a promise to myself and to the environment. Looking back I have made so many costumes that I wore only once or twice. This, however, never really fit in my values and sure doesn't these days. Some of the old cosplays are still wearable once I lose some weight but some don't even exist anymore.
Wasting resources like that isn't really cool and thus I have decided to make costumes that can be worn multiple times - and which are easy to modify once I lose some of the weight (even the pictures don't really show how obese I really am so yes, this is from a health point of view since I don't want to get a damn cardiac arrest at this point of my life). Make it about quality, not quantity - that's my new motto for this hobby.

🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑

Overall I consider 2024 a good year. 
I already have plans for 2025 too so if you're interested in them then stay tuned - the first convention of the year is right behind the corner! And no, it's not Desucon Frostbite; even though I would like to attend that one too at some point I didn't really have a chance to fight for the tickets so yeah, that's a no for me. Instead I'm going to attend a lot smaller convention in a familiar place; Konekocon, here I come! ❤
A big thank you goes to everyone who has accompanied me to conventions in 2024 - you were a huge part of my con experiences! ❤ Also a special thanks goes to Shiro Samurai who was my trusted photographer and travel companion; seriously, can't thank you enough.

Already looking forward to the cosplay year 2025! ✨

Until next time (which, very likely, is a circle lens review in the near future).

- Firith