Rilakumaki

The Big Chop: Getting My Curly Hair Cut in Japan

2014-02-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

The New Year is a time when everyone wants to start over, get a clean break to reinvent yourself. Well not to be cliche, but I thought there was no better time than now for the "big chop" If you have seen past posts about my transition hair, you know that I used to get the Japanese super straight perm but stopped a couple years back and tried going natural. Although my hair has been growing back, I still had straight hair that was thinning out in the bottom and couldn't leave my hair out without using sponge rollers over night.

It was fine for a while, a few years in fact, but it was getting ridiculous. My hair was at hip level, but what does that mean if it's unhealthy and always up in a bun? If the split ends just keep getting higher, and the hair keeps breaking off. So I thought enough was enough.

Despite the fact that the last time I got a haircut while my hair was curly here (the only time actually) I had such a horrible experience, I decided to give it a go. As a curly girl, getting hair products that work well for your hair isn't the easiest thing. Even organic cold pressed coconut oil, my holy grail product, can only be bought at supermarkets where they have imported goods and the prices are, of course, hiked up. Getting a haircut... that's another issue. They mostly have absolutely no idea about how to work with natural, curly hair.

The first time I got a haircut was when I turned 20, and wanted to get a "mature" look by cutting my hair sort. I mean short - below shoulder length. Not only did they botch it, I left with a frizzy bun with all my hair that couldn't be tied in a bun sticking out like a nappy mane! They didn't know how to style my hair, and since they dried my hair (with no diffuser and brushed it out after cutting my wet hair), they decided to put it up in a bun. Anyone seeing me would have been like, "Bad hair day?", which I'd have to reply with "No, I just got my hair done!"

This time, it was pretty similar. When I walked in, I was given the option to pick the stylist to do my hair. A regular stylist, a top stylist, and the creative director of the salon were the only options available that day. Now to get a haircut (without getting you hair washed or anything) would have cost me 30something dollars with the regular stylist fresh out of beauty school. The top stylist was 50, and I didn't even bother when I saw the next up was 70something dollars. I am el cheapo over hear, but since I already knew what I was working with, I didn't think I should get the regular stylist. And I am glad I didn't.

I guess one of the perks of being a top stylist is that you don't have to wash clients' hair anymore. She sat me down to discuss what I wanted to get done, and she actually said, I kid you not, "Shall we cut you hair while it's dry?" It was obvious that she knew that it would make sense to cut my hair while it's dry and can see the curl patters because upon further inspection of my frizzy hair she suggested we wash and dry it and then cut it. My hair had been in a bun all night and lost it's curl patterns and just looked like a hot frizzy mess.

So the ordered a stylist to go wash my hair, but this is where I started to cringe. She used so much shampoo, and I'm not even sure if she used conditioner (maybe I had to pay extra for that). Then she dried my hair with a towel, really rubbing my hair with it (FRIZZ!) and then she started to comb out my hair with a fine toothed comb. She blow dried my hair, at least with a diffuser, but she was combing my hair out while blow drying. The top stylist walked by and told her to stop, saying, "Dry it like it would naturally. Isn't that what you do usually? Air dry?" The stylist put the comb down and then used her hands to help it dry but it was still creating frizz and the damage was already done. So I basically paid for a shampoo for nothing because now that my hair was frizzy and lost it's curls, the top stylist had to rewet the tips with a spray bottle to get the curls back and cut it.

It did give me an inkling of hope that some people do know how to somewhat work with curly hair. I still left the salon with frizzy hair tucked into a hat incase people ask my if I had a bad hair day. My hair felt like it had some heat damage and dry when I left, but it wasn't all bad. She didn't want to cut off all the permed ends, which is the opposite problem I usually have (stylists cutting off way too much). She convinced me that the tips have some wave to it and I can encourage curls by twirling it and drying it while curled and letting it cool before using some mousse. Sadly I don't dry my hair with a dryer, but I might have to invest in a diffuser for now in case I ever do.

So some parts of my hair still have about 2,3 inches of permed hair and those in the back, which are a bit shorter are all natural! I'm so happy that I can finally do wash and go's but now comes the tricky part. I thought it would be as simple as using less products than before (now that I think about it, 50% less!) but I find that the products I used before weigh my hair down so much that it lays flat on my head. It was fine when I needed extra hold to keep the curls from the sponge rollers but now that all the dead weight is gone and my hair is a lot lighter (and my hair isn't very dense and is fine) I have to switch up my hair routine yet again!

(my wet hair)

I'm so excited to rediscover my hair and what works. The last time I had to do this, I was a teenager! A TEENAGER! I was into using tons of gel to keep the frizz at bay. While this was fine, it was super crunchy and my curls had no bounce to them. So here's to a year full of discovery, challenges, and growth! Happy New Year Everybody!

My hair in the morning now! "I woke up like diiiiiis, I woke up like thisss"

John Masters Organics Argan Oil Review

2014-02-01T22:33:00.001-08:00

I was so excited to give this stuff a try. I read so many great reviews about John Masters Organics' 100% Argan Oil. Living in Japan, I usually don't get to buy products that I read or hear about online. Fortunately for me, they have John Masters Organics here in Japan. Better yet, right down the street from my place. The prices are pretty high in the US to begin with, so even after checking out the store a couple times and testing the products out at the store, I wasn't entirely convinced to get it. But I was out of my hair serums and other argan oils and finally splurged on it.

The Uses:
...for a scalp massage before washing hair with shampoo -see this___ post about why shampoo is damaging-
...hair treatment -It claims to mend split ends and tame frizzy hair-
...skin moisturizer -claims to help reduce appearance of wrinkles and blemishes-
...for nails and cuticles

How to Use:
It's a multipurpose oil that you can use all over your body. It can be used before or after washing your hair.

If you have a flaky scalp, you can work it into your scalp first and after massaging it into it, wrap a steaming towel around your head for 15 minutes. In the shower, flip you hair over and rise it out. Follow up with your usual shampoo and conditioning routine.

If you have dry hair (and so possibly frizzy like mine) you can work a couple pumps into you hair, especially the ends after washing and condition.

It can be used as a heat protectant before blowdrying or flat ironing.

What Argan oil is good for:
Argan oil is able to actually get into the hair shaft to nourish and improve the elasticity of the hair. It moisturizes the hair. It is rich in vitamin E and antioxidants which are great for repairing and strengthening you hair. This argan oil is full of omega 6 fatty acids to help prevent hair breakage. It smooths, softens, and adds shine to your hair and skin.

Cons:

The major issue I have with this is the smell. I have no idea if I got a bad batch because I don't recall the store testers smelling like this. It reminds me of the horrible smell ginko trees make at certain times of the year or fart knockers (what we called these cherry like fruit that fall off trees and STINK). I couldn't get past thee smell to use it much, so I hated the product. I know it's supposed to be good for you plus I paid $50 for it, so I kept using it but before my weekly shampoo because I dreaded leaving the house with hair smelling like...fat knockers.

Pros:
Despite what I wrote in the cons, I did use it over night after co-washing, then put a bit of Shea Moisture's Curling Gel Soufflé and my hair was just perfect: bouncy, soft, frizz free, and not sticky!

Although I haven't used this for long, I will say that it is light and absorbs well into the hair. I don't use it on the skin, so I cannot comment on that, but on my hair it doesn't leave it feeling too greasy when I use 2 squirts for my whole head. It doesn't weigh my hair down too much so I can layer other products over it.

Would I repurchase?
Honestly, no. It didn't "wow" me like I expected it to. And although I realize it just may be a bad batch that I have, the smell deters me even if it was good. For that price, I prefer to use my old macadamia oil which absorbs into the hair just as well, smells...better at least, and is still good for my hair. In fact, it cuts out the drying time of my hair by 70% and is a natural heat protectant.

Daytime Makeup

2014-01-18T07:34:00.004-08:00

Everyone has their own ideas of what the one product you shouldn't leave the house without is (of course many would say you don't NEED to have makeup, too). Some may not feel comfortable without having their eyebrows filled in, others may want some foundation or concealer, and I do think both have good points. Eyebrows frame your face, and having great looking skin makes you look younger and put together. For me, though, I rely on eyeliner to open up my eyes. After all, eyeliner is supposed to create the illusion of thicker lashes, and since I HATE mascara, liquid and pencil liners are my best friends!

Every other month, I like getting lash extensions to save me from the drama of having to put on mascara everyday and the painstaking removal at night. Besides, the lashes give me the length and thickness that I couldn't be able to get without using falsies. I didn't get them this past month, so although my eye lashes are bare, I figured I'd use this time to use up my mascaras before they expire.

So for my "everyday makeup", and I put them in quotations because I rarely put on any makeup other than eyeliner, I focus on the following: tinted moisturizer/BB cream for a natural look, defined brows to frame my face, neutral shadows with cream liner on the waterlines, and full lashes to open up the eyes.

On my face:

I prime my face with MAC's Prep + Prime with SPF 50 since it's a daytime look (sun damage? no thanks)

I like using my Benefit's You Rebel tinted moisturizer or Sleek's BB cream to even out my skin tone a bit and cover up some flaws. Some times, I even just use some MAC's studio finish concealer and just use Benefit's You Rebel over it and call it a day.

If I am to set it, I set, highlight, and contour using MAC's MSF Natural in medium plus, medium deep, and/or deep dark. Depending on my mood, I may just use the MSFs instead of tinted moisturizers and BB creams.

On my eyes:

I guess I'll put my brows here too. NYX auto eyebrow pencil in charcoal is my favorite. I have jet black hair and always felt weird using browns. This pencil is the perfect dark gray color to help you get full, natural looking brows.

On my eyes, I like using light shadows with a little shimmer to help open them up. I like Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette. I use bootycall, or even half baked since I have darker skin on my lids. Foxy or bootycall goes on my inner corner, and Foxy goes under my browbone. On my crease I do like a mat brown, and so something like tease would do, but my favorite would be MAC's cork.

I like using a nude color on your waterline is more natural looking, but I do not have one, and I'm not allowing myself to buy any make up until at least next year or when I use up some more, so I just use white for now. Then I take a dark brown eyeshadow (like snakebite) and line my upper lashes and the outer third of my lower lashes. Lastly, mascara, mascara, and more mascara if you have pathetic lashes like mine...unless you have lash extensions ;)

On my lips:

For my lips, I like using a lip stain or something else long lasting like wet n wild megalast or Revlon's lip stains. If you're using lipsticks, lip liners will definitely help them last longer! Since the eyes are not dramatic with neutral colors, you can jazz up the look with fun lip colors!

What is your one product that you can't leave the house without?

A New Blog about all things Japan!

2014-01-18T06:44:00.001-08:00

My friend and I have decided to start a new blog about Japan. Although we are both busy and may not have time at the moment to get it up and running as fast as we'd like, we are doing our best to get new posts up! Check out our new blog here and learn a little more about about Japan, or just be a fly on our wall and follow us around our little adventures =]

My New Year's In Japan

2014-01-18T06:40:00.002-08:00

This year, I didn't necessarily do anything special. I didn't travel anywhere for the holidays, but since I live in Japan I hoped to do some of the traditional things...but that didn't happen. I didn't go to the temple around midnight, I didn't eat toshikoshi soba (passing of year soba noodles) or osechi (special meals for the new year), and I didn't even count down to midnight (I was too busy blabbering that I missed the moment that it turned 12).

This year, I visited the temple on the 2nd of January, and traveled to visit my grandparents right after. My friend and I made a post on what it's like on our new blog on Japan here. Please check it out if you want a detailed account of things. I just thought I'd share some of the pictures that I took on here.

So we went to Asakusa's temple at 9 in the morning, while it was still some what uncrowded. It was cold, but still such a nice day!

I hope you guys had a great New Year's Day and can stick to all your resolutions this year =}

I Love Korean Face Masks

2013-11-25T05:57:00.000-08:00

When I went to Korea a few years ago, I remember that the beauty counters in the department stores were all about snail cream and skincare. At least here in Japan, Korea is known for cheap spas ("esute"-esthethics), good skincare, and good food. All the ladies at the counters in the department stores offered samples and asked if we'd like to try out their creams. When I finally gave in, I didn't realize that what I tried was snail cream., and could not believe that it was so popular! I mean...it's SNAIL cream.

Now, I know there are actual places in Tokyo where you can have LIVE snails put on your face as a facial treatment. I would not be interested in that, but next to that the creams and masks aren't that bad. So after a while I started noticing the Korean masks all over stores here, and not only were they super popular, but they were also super cheap! You can get one mast for less than a dollar at most stores, and at some places you can get a good deal if you buy in bulk (like 5, or 10).

I think the best part of these masks are that they come in some pretty interesting varieties (sail, snake venom, wine, lilly, and roses just to name a few). If that alone isn't going to get you intrigued and willing to try them them out, they are moisturizing and full of nutrients. These masks don't get rinsed off. After leaving them on your face for about 20 minutes, you simply remove the mask, rub in the remaining product into your face, and your done! Go one and moisturize your face to finish the skincare routine. Finally, you gotta love the fact that you are actually putting a pre-made mask onto your face. I always have fun lining it up to my face for some reason (am I too easily entertained or what?).

Since we should exfoliate our faces twice a week, I exfoliate once during my weekly facial and again in the middle of the week. After the second time exfoliating, I use these masks for added moisture and nutrients that my skin loves to soak up. I also use my face steamer while using this mask, since the steam opens up my pores allowing the goodies from the mask to get into my pores better. The steamer turns off after about 6 minutes and then the mask gets cold, closing up the pores again.

Would you guys want to try out the sail cream/treatments?

Are You Making This Mistake, and Helping Your Foundation Melt Off?

2013-11-22T08:26:00.001-08:00

If you are like me, you've probably made this mistake over and over and not realized that you are actually causing your foundation to melt off. You might notice that certain products break you out, or make you oily, but are you really using them correctly in the first place? I am a fan of mixing and matching, but products made in sets are made that way for a reason. It makes the process simple for us, but let's face it, we don't always want to buy all of the products for all those steps with those prices. Especially if you already have the same product from another brand. Now that's fine and all, if you know how the products work and how to read labels.

I already have a certain degree of doubt when mixing products because I'm paranoid that certain ingredients can interfere with those in other products. That's a big reason why I do try to keep things as simple as possible and use the least amount of products. That, and I'm lazy, haha.

Anyway, without getting to my paranoid hypotheses, there is still an important principle we all must follow. Whether it's skincare or make up, use like products. So if you are using an oil based moisturizer, then your primer and foundation should be oil based also. Same with water or silicone based skincare products and make up. Just picture mixing oil with water. You can't, right? If you mix products that are water and oil based on your skin, they aren't going to blend nicely together and they'll start melting off your skin. Simple, yes. But have you ever read the ingredients list? I spent hours trying to decode them, and looking at the back of my current moisturizers, primers, and foundations.

Silicone based products are easy to tell for the most part because of their texture. I'm sure many of you have tried the Smashbox photo finish primer. It has this real slippery texture which is great for smoothing out uneven textures, but with my oily T-zone, it was a big no-no. In any case, look at the first 5 or so ingredients to check for silicones. They will end in something like -silicone, -cone, -silicate, -siloxane. Oil based makeup have oils and emollients, etc. The water based ones may indicate somewhere that it's oil free, a gel formula, or the something like that.

This site gave info on what foundations/primers are water or silicone based

Of course, you have to make sure that you are using the right type for your skin. I have combination skin, and especially in the summer, I have dreadful oily skin. So with oily skin, we don't want oil based products, it's just gonna make everything slosh around on your face (unless you add another step to control oil). Something water based is more suitable for oily skin, and so for my T-Zone as well. What about my dry cheeks, you ask? Well I have some dry patches, large pores, and acne scars that need to be covered up. Silicone based products are better to cover up pores, and I seriously need to exfoliate now that it's dry and cold.

After you figure out what your skin type is and what exactly it needs, you may have to do a lot to change around your skincare routine. Keep in mind that your skin needs about two weeks to adjust to new routines, and if you get you routine right, it's going to cut down on your oil production or whatever your skin problems are so that when you proceed with your makeup application, you have a nice, blank, smooth canvas to work on.

I will do a separate skin care post another time, so let's get back to the makeup. So now that your skin is all prepped hypothetically speaking, you can use a primer if you'd like to help your make up last longer. Using a good moisturizer for your skin type may be enough , however. If you have normal skin, you are lucky my friend, just use what you prefer. With oily skin, a water based primer and/or foundation would be your best bet. Dry skin? Look for something moisturizing: oil based, cream, mousse... If you have combination, it's a bit tricky because it really depends on how "combo" you are, lol. You may be able to get away with oil based products, you may not, you may want to try mineral, but then again, it may not work. Just make sure your skincare is on point, and if you still have oil, use an oil control gel on those trouble areas, along with oil free/mattifying products that are water based.

So here are some good primers I like. Of course a popular one is Embryolisse, which can be used as a moisturizer, a primer, and even a makeup remover. They have different types, even a mattifying one for oily skin. I like the MUF HD Primers, especially since you can get it in color correcting shades. They are silicone based, and another great silicone based one is Benefit's Porefessional primer. For everyday use, I like my MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect Visage with SPF 50. It's great because I can wear it alone, it has great SPF coverage, it's not too thick like typical sunscreens, and it's water based which is great for my skin type!

Now for your foundations. For a water based foundation, why not try Cover FX Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation, or another great one, MAC Face and Body. For a silicone based foundation, Make Up Forever HD is a great one, especially together with its primer. I really like Graftobian's foundations for cream foundations, and MAC's Studio Sculpt for mousse foundations.

When applying your foundation, make sure it isn't caked on, and use a powder to set it. The primer or oils in your moisturizer will help your foundation cling on to your skin, and the foundation will smooth your skin and let the power cling on to it. What a lovely relationship <3 Also, if you have oily skin or an oily T-zone, translucent power on those trouble areas would be best because it won't turn orange.

Alright, now that you got the basics down, have fun with your makeup application! I hope you got something useful out of this post!

Remember, makeup cannot make you as beautiful as confidence can. =)

My Favorite Fall Lipsicks

2013-11-15T08:24:00.001-08:00

All of a sudden the temperatures dropped this week in Tokyo, the leaves have started changing colors, and I had to bust out my heavier coats and jackets. I had already started using darker lip glosses, but now that it really feels like fall, I had to bust out my more dramatic lipsticks as well.

I thought I'd share some of my favorite lipsticks for fall. Oddly enough they were all either NYX or MAC. Many of the lip colors were really similar though, so I narrowed them down and these are the winners. I also included my favorite lip liners. since they do change the color and also help lipsticks last longer. Again, most of them are NYX and they are really great quality, especially for the price! A great site to get NYX makeup is cherryculture.com . They seriously have great deals, which is great because they hike up the prices here in Japan, and they have international shipping. The only downside to that site is the long wait to get the products, but it's definitely worth it in my opinion.

From left to right: M.A.C. Deep, NYX Medusa,NYX Ulysses, NYX Fusion, M.A.C. Viva Glam III

M.A.C Viva glam III, NYX Fusion. NYX Ulysses, NYX Medusa, M.A.C Deep

Fron left to right: NYX Hot Cocoa, NYX Ever, NYX Edge Pink, Make Up Forever 13C

I don't know if you can tell, but the NYX liner in Ever is like the most used lip liner I own. It's not exactly the fall, vampy look, so I use it with other nude lipsticks... or anything else really.

MUA liner, NYX hot cocoa, NYX edge pink, NYX Ever

Here is the Ever liner with MAC's Deep

Here's NYX Fusion and Edge Pink

NYX Hot Cocoa and Viva Glam

NYX Hot Cocoa and Ulysses

What are some of your favorite fall lip colors?

NOTW - Nails of the Week -

2013-11-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

I have started working again, and still volunteer at the hospital every week. That means I can no longer have my bedazzled, bright colored nails like I used to. I do not mean to quit them for good, if anything I'll just take them off after two or three days in time for my volunteering. So now I actually have bare nails most of the time, or just nude polishes.

The sad part is, the end of the year is when I get the most excited about my nails. It's the holiday season! First it's halloween, then we have Thanksgiving in November, then Xmas, then New Year's Day. Each month I have fun themes to work around, and it's just such a festive season!

I already see Christmas decorations up here in Japan, so I decided to kick up my nude nails a notch with some gold glitter. Since I can't do too much with nail art, I kept it fairly simple with the sideways french manicure.

I'm not sure why, but having holiday and seasonal themed nails always put me in the spirit of things and brightens my mood!

I just used the sinful colors nail polish in Tahiti Breeze and First Kiss Nail art paint in gold glitter. Since I can't use my gel top coat because I might have to take it off soon, I used my "gel look" top coat by Ducato (which I pretty much used up).

Japanese Bento, Anyone?

2013-11-11T05:11:00.001-08:00

When I used to work at a kindergarten here in Japan, the kids would come in with the most intricate, cutest lunch boxes. Princess inspired lunch boxes, super hero characters... They diabolically masked vegetables and boring finger foods in fun disguises and tricked their toddlers into enjoying them. I mean, the moms made something as simple as a carrot cute and appetizing. I hate veggies but I gotta admit, even I wanted to try some of their lunches.

I decided I was going to give it a try and made my very first bento two years ago. It was time consuming, I'll admit. Much longer than I'd like to admit, but then again, I do not know my way around the kitchen and am not even confident with making boiled eggs. So I managed to somehow put together a bento and documented my pathetic attempt. It was cute I guess, if you compare it to a plain peanut butter and jelly sandwich I suppose... I know it was no where near the level of those other ones I've seen, but I tried.

Considering the time I spent on the last one, I thought there would be no way that I'd get up all extra early to make those bentos for my children, whenever I have them. However, taking another look at the book I bought which helped me make the first bento, I saw some cool ideas which only required you to microwave the food to prepare them.

I'm all about saving time and using little effort. In other words, I'm lazy. So instead of frying or boiling things, I was happy that all you needed to do was microwave things in salt water or sugar water. Anyway, if you're interested you can check out the videos to see how I made them. Maybe you can use it for some ideas to jazz up your lunches =)

Here is my first attempt:

And this is my second attempt:

Japanese McDonald's Egg Burger

2013-10-15T04:37:00.002-07:00

I tend to forget how unusual some things can be that I see everyday here in Japan. Seeing that I visit McDonalds ~~occasionally~~ (ok let's get real) a little more than I'd like to... I got used to their unique menu which includes shrimp burgers. The fact that their chicken burgers are filled with grease and made with dark meat (because they are juicy) became the norm, and their seasonal items like the Tsukimi burger are things I may have already tried once, or twice...

This year, I saw that the burger also had bacon, and that they also had the chicken Tsukimi burger, and though, "ew..." and figured I'd share it with you. Now the main difference between a regular burger and a Tsukimi burger is an egg. They Tsukimi burger also has some special sauce...(mayo? and something?) but that's pretty much it.

Now that, added to the breaded chicken (I'm sure dripping with oil on the inside too) just seemed weird to me, even though I see no logic as to why the first should be any less weird...

Honestly though, they put eggs over everything! Spaghetti, beef bowls, ramen, raw horse meat... the list goes on and half the time the egg's not even cooked (or just soft-boiled)... I just can't....

Yet here is the video of me eating it haha!

What are some interesting things you've seen people eating?

Counting Down to Halloween - Plants Vs Zombies Nails

2013-10-13T11:46:00.002-07:00

This year, I didn't even realize it was October until the first week passed. I usually have my Halloween plans already set by September. I know what I'm dressing up as, and seeing that I was a teacher, I had decorated my classroom, got crafts, and fun activities all planned out for October. This year, however, I am not teaching anymore...and so sadly, I didn't even realized when it was until someone asked me if I was dressing up this year or not.

Well, to be honest, I probably won't be dressing up this year, haha. I do live in Japan, and even though Halloween started getting big these last two to three years, it's still no where near as big as it is in the US. Costumes here are expensive, and they all seem waaaaaay to skanky (if I may say so) especially since they are just from "Donki".

Anyway, I figured doing my nails was one thing I can still do (even though I'd have to take them off before volunteering at the hospital). I had been so addicted to the PVZ2 game recently, I figured it would be perfect for kickstarting my Halloween nail series for 2013.

I hope you guys like it, and maybe even give it a try.

What are all your plans for Halloween? And do you have any more suggestions for Halloween nails?

My first Gel Nail Tutorial

2013-10-13T01:52:00.002-07:00

I have been big on gel nails! It lasts forever, doesn't chip, and looks nice and glossy. What's not to love?? Taking it off I suppose, haha.

Well after I found this wonderful discount nail supply store in Tokyo, I got into gel nails. They even had free seminars weekly, showing nail art techniques, etc. I loved that I don't have to do my nails weekly, and can do my regular activities without worrying about chipped polishes.

As you can see in past posts, I hoarded a bunch of gel colors, only to start volunteering a week after I posted this tutorial on youtube... Why does that matter, you say? Well, we aren't allowed to wear bright colored polishes, and most of my gel are in bright colors, haha... I was told "no nails" in English, but later someone said as the polish is nude or the like, its ok. No long nails, obviously, too. So there goes all my fun, haha. anyway, here was the last (and first) gel nail tutorial that I did. I go over the basics and steps, but make sure to check out my nail care video too because it can be a bit damaging, especially if your not doing it right.

I made my own jewelry!.....sorta...

2013-10-13T01:45:00.003-07:00

I went to visit a friend in Kyoto last week, and while there, she took me to a store in Kobe where I made my own jewelry... sorta...

Well it was all that she told me it would be, and more! See, she's a designer - one of those artsy type of girls; great at drawing and really creative. So when she showed me this hair clip she had, I immediately asked her where she got it from. It had flowers and lots of pretty things on it, and matched a dress she was going to wear to a wedding.

She told me she can take me there, and the place was amazing. A whole wall full of jars on shelves which had everything from beads to flowers and chains, etc. My jaw dropped. Not only that, each shelf had about three other shelves hidden behind so that when you slide it to the side, you can see another shelf full of more items you can use.

There were two areas in the store where the store employees can be seen working over a table full of tools, making the jewelry items that the customers request. You can get a small bowl, where you put in the beads, lace, or whatever material it is that you want to use to make your bracelet, earrings, necklace, hair piece, or whatever it is you want to create! You go around the store, gathering those items, looking at various samples already made, and getting advice from the employees who are readily available to give you tips and ideas. All the items were so unique, and since you can pick how you want them arranged, the length of the chain or whatever material you choose, you get a real unique piece that no one will have.

The prices were okay as well, less than $20 for the necklace I made, and about $30 for my earrings.

I was nervous and overwhelmed at first, and did feel a bit of pressure because I could be so indecisive and my friend was waiting on me to make a decision. I had no idea about what theme I'd pick, or where to even start for that matter... It took ages, and I finally decided to go with something simple (I didn't know how much it would cost me anyway). So I got this gold wired ball, put in this purple gem, and asked them to put the chain on it to make a necklace.

Once I handed it over and had some time to look around while it was being made and no more pressure, I started to look at the things differently. In fact, I could suddenly see all the potential and ideas would pop in my head from everywhere. I saw this snowman piece, which you can attach any type of pearl on the bottom as its body, and thought I wanted to make a christmas/holiday piece. I found a present and a star, and thought, "Ah, perfect!" My friend recommended which chain I should use (the thinnest one I think) and the lengths of each chain to hang the pieces, and a store employee recommended some of the actual earring types from which it would hang from. I just picked a plain studded earring.

The lady took the measurements, and we waited once more for it to be made. I could have kept going, but my wallet kept reminding me that I better stop, haha. I loved the way it came out, and it is hands don my favorite earrings that I own. I am going to wear them all the time once Halloween is over! I want to go back and make more the next time I go down near Kyoto =)

It was super fun! You get to make your own personalized jewelry without the hard work, haha! I love it because a few months ago I went to buy pieces to make my own personalized earrings, (the total was over $40 bucks too) and never actually went through with it. It's still somewhere in my room (I should probably start on that too now)...

Anyway, I hope you guys had a great weekend~

Eyelid Trainers

2013-05-30T02:16:00.001-07:00

I recently went to look for some pet food here in Japan and while strolling towards the pet isle, I saw these dangling down and thought I'd get a closer look at this peculiar looking item.

Now I wasn't sure what to think. I know here in Asia the double eyelid is desired and many even have surgery just to get that crease.

I've seen many gadgets that they sell such as tape or glue that one can apply daily and now even these eyelid trainers. It sort of looks a bit scary in my opinion, but you have to admire their creativity in their products. Lol.

Anchor/Rockabilly Nails

2013-05-21T16:34:00.002-07:00

Lately I've been really loving the rockabilly look. So I thought, why not do "rockabilly nails" too? So the outfit I wore just had this simple stripped top that was tucked into these high waisted shorts. Now I didn't have red wedges or pumps, which I really wanted to wear, so I just used the red on my nails instead =P

You might not be able to see it in the picture, but I have little anchor earrings that I also used for the nail look.

I have been looking in to buying bright colored pumps or flats recently, so I think I'll start with red~

I hope you guys are having a great week!

Cinco De Mayo Nails

2013-04-29T09:06:00.001-07:00

I was thinking about nail looks, and since it's Golden Week here I was thinking about Children's Day (a Japanese holiday) nails. But since I already did that before I thought I'd give another holiday a try: Cinco de Mayo!

So first, I thought I'd use colors from the Mexican flag - green, white, and red. I was initially going to blend them together (gradation) but... I didn't lol.

So I'm using gel instead of polish today, so I used a couple of brushes. You can use one or two (one for light gel colors and one for darker ones) but since I was going back and forth with the colors I just decided to use one brush per color except for the gold and yellow.

So this week I am resting my nails, so I am using fake nails. Unfortunately, I wasn't very careful and so I got some of the gel on the tape under the nails which stayed on the sides of the nails after I peeled the nails off...

So I started with one coat of the green on the left...

followed by the red on the right...

then the white in the middle to help straighten the lines too. You can cure the gel after each color to help the colors not blend in together, but that might take a while.

After paining all three colors, I cured it for 30 seconds then put on one more coat.

Next, taking a super thin brush, I used black to make these prints and then cured it for 30 seconds once more. All nails except for the thumb and ring finger's ended there.

Both the sombrero and the maracas had this metallic gold color.

So I started by making a somewhat triangular shape, then something like a sideways 8 or infinity sign underneath and color it in. Then I cured it for 30 seconds.

Lastly, I outlined the hat with black, shaded it a bit and added a line of yellow on the bottom on the triangular shape we first drew. Cure.

Same with the maracas on the ring finger's nail. I started with two round balls and draw a line with a smaller ball at the bottom.

Again, I outlined it and used yellow for some details on the maracas and cured the nails.

After adding on the top coat I cured them, this time for 2 minutes.

And finito! That's it! It took a bit of time with the black, but I like it =) I wish I didn't have to wait to do my own personal nails... Happy-soon-to-be-Cinco-de-Mayo!!!!

Baseball Fun

2013-04-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

So I was not dressed to go to a baseball game, it had actually gotten chilly after the sun went down... But my boyfriend surprised me and took me down the street to see a game. It was the Yokohama Bay Stars vs. the Hanshin Tigers. Since we live in Yokohama, we decided to cheer for the Bay Stars, even though they generally suck... And it was pretty much our only choice since all the seats in the visiting team's section was pretty much sold out!

So if you saw my last post, you know I had to get me some of that!! lol I got some fries and BBQ chicken, cause the alternatives were some bento boxes with rice balls or noodles!

The Bay Stars actually did great today!! They actually started with 2, 3 home runs while the other team had 0 throughout. Even the other fan sitting behind us were like, "Wow, we are on a roll today. This is so unusual!!" They kept making comments about how unbelievable it was lol, and I was just thinking, "Jeez, they must really suck if even their fans are in disbelief that their team is in the lead".

Well if you guys know anything about Japanese baseball games, then you'd know all about the fans. They make songs for each player on the team and sing/chant for them when they are batting (trumpets, drums and huge flags included). It's just such a fun and lively atmosphere that anyone can enjoy the game even if you don't really know what's going on =).

This upcoming week is Golden Week, and pretty much everyone is going to be off for the week! Fun times await us as prices go up for vacation deals and everything's booked up and over crowded =P. I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

Spring in Kyoto

2013-04-23T06:58:00.001-07:00

I totally missed hanami (cherry blossom viewing....or rather having a picnic under a cherry blossom tree with friends who mostly get wasted lol) this year. So when my best friend from elementary invited me to visit her this past spring break, I was happy to know that I could still get a chance to at least go see the cherry blossom trees in Kyoto.

The weather started out real badly, it had rained the whole previous day as well. But by the time we got to her work place (That's right. She gets to work by this beautiful garden everyday. How peaceful...) the rain started to stop and the sun even came out briefly once in a while.

That's obviously her hand lol.

Someone at her job made these and were just outside (drying?) but it looked so pretty so I snapped a shot.

I went to see a traditional Japanese dance performance later that day with my best friend who got some great tickets.

Those special tickets included some Japanese sweets and tea. The maikos, as seen in this picture, served us some tea! I'm not much of a fan of Japanese sweets (toooooo sweet) but we got to keep the little plate as a souvenir.

That was the stage, which also extended to the sides. It had some trap doors lol, it was hilarious and unexpected to see them pop up or disappear. I enjoyed the show so much. The colors, make up, kimonos,... it was really beautiful.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who got hungry reading that bus stop's name, lol =P

Anyway, I'm still anxiously waiting for warmer weather... I hope the weather is a lot better wherever you are<3

Too soon to be thinking about summer?

2013-04-22T09:27:00.004-07:00

I can't believe so much time has passed since I went to Guam! I think it was 2011?! Well the weather here in Tokyo keeps going up and down. One second you think spring is finally coming and next thing you know the lows are back to the 40s and the weather is all rainy or cloudy. I kinda just wish we could get past this transitional time and jump right into summer! I miss the beach, the weather, the time off... I think I need another vacation =P.

Tokyo Nail Expo

2012-11-19T06:46:00.004-08:00

It was my first time going to one of these things, and oh my gosh....it was so packed! I expected it to be crowded inside, but I did not expect about an hour of a wait to even GET IN. My friend and I were joking about how much it was like Disney, (which has crazy long lines in case you have never been to Japan's Disney) and it was funny to see those with fast passes (Nail Techs, Contestants, etc) just zoom past us on the side cause they are on a special list.

Anyway the wait was a small price to pay for all the glorious nail goodies that awaited us, at discounted prices. I ended up buying Gel nail products, even a new LED light, (because my old UV light is huge and bulky), and a few other brushes and filers. I recently decided to switch from using nail polish to gel nails, so I had to start collecting from scratch =(.

I have never heard of Betty Gel before, but when I walked in I saw so many of the huge bags, that I had to see what the hype was about. When I finally found the little stall later on, I totally understood what the hype was about. They had this awesome deal - buy 5 gel (...polishes?)and get a handful free! So I bought 5, and of course managed to grab 7 at once, for FREE! I still need to try it out to see if it was even worth buying but for now I'm happy with the purchase=). I bout some more from Ace-gel and their products were also SUPER popular... They had a crazy system to buy the stuff which took ages (3 lines: one to get in, one to tick off things you wanted while looking at a poster with colors, and lastly one to pay after they call your name with your products). Lastly I went to my favorite nail store's stand and got my other things.

Look at how tiny that LED light is!! (That's my phone next to it!!)

The rest of the night was just watching live demonstrations and drooling at all the things they had there. I definitely did not get everything I wanted, but I still feel really happy about what I got. Funny story--when I was at the convenience store, I overheard two people talking about how much they took out at the ATM, and one said $300 to which the other responded, "What?? That's it?" Turns out the other girl took out close to $2,000... wtf... is all I could think when I heard that...(O_o)

Anyway, I hope you guys are staying warm, the weather here is getting pretty darn cold. Bundle up!!

2012-07-25T07:39:00.001-07:00

My blog might as well not be about beauty, nails, or Japan because lately all my posts have been nothing but that. Yet again, I am traveling out the country for vacation =)
This time I'm heading out to Thailand/Cambodia for a little over a week. I was looking for tips for how to pack and saw many great suggestions.
Some tips required me to go out and buy some things, others were as simple as using things you already have at home, and others were reminders that there are different cultures that we need to respect.

So here's what I packed. Just one back pack and a mini bag that I'm gonna carry around in town. I packed light because obviously things are super cheap there and I can come back with more things and no one wants to be hauling huge bags trekking across countries.

I found out that short/tight shorts and spaghetti straps are pretty much not acceptable in the cities (I hear people still wear shorts around malls though) and temples and that they even have skirts or something to cover up at the gates if you are not dressed appropriately. I was a bit shocked to find out that even tight pants weren't acceptable and you had to wear something over that. Sandals are also not allowed apparently, so I had to stop by an "outdoors-ish" store to buy suitable shoes to go exploring around the temples in Cambodia.

I took three pairs of shorts and tops for the days I'll be spending on the beaches/resort and two dresses that I can war at other times. I intend to buy clothes while I'm there and just wash and mix and match what I have.

Next I only took one swimsuit and cover up, again, I'm sure I'll be buying more there...

I also took my yellow sarong, if it doesn't match the swimsuits I buy I can always just use it to lay on the beach.

under water cameras and power converters are a must. Can't forget my camera's charger and other charger I might need.

I keep my undies in this bag, and opted to bring these silicone coverups for the days I wear my dresses...

I used my roxy bag to keep my swimsuit in, can't forget sunscreen and my shades...

Can you believe this all fit in that blue little bag?? And the rest of my things all fit in the black backpack that you can sorta see in the top right lol.

So here I got my guide books for both countries, my money pouch that I will wear hidden under my clothes, wet wipes, anti-bacterial wipes, tissue, bug repellant, power wipes (it also has sunscreen on it and it's a great way to refresh yourself if you're all sweaty)

I also have the very Japanese gel cooling strips and one that you can tie around your neck to stay cool. The way it works is that once it's wet it gets plump and the gel inside feels real cold so you can just put it around your neck to stay cool. When it starts to wear off, all you do is wet it again and get gets plump again and cool...

Lastly I have my toiletries bag with stuff like face wash, lotions, etc...

I also have my tinted moisturizer, a paintpot, eyeshadow (clubbin'),

gold and black eyeliners, and a power foundation (mainly for its mirror)

I know it seems long now that I listed EVERYTHING, but it's just one backpack and a shoulder bag...( I forgot to mention my flip flops for the beach) n still has room for a little more. I'm leaving out tomorrow and I hope to take great pictures to share when I get back XD

Nails Nails Nails

2012-07-20T06:39:00.003-07:00

One down side of living in Japan is that there isn't a beauty store like Sally's where you can go and find all your beauty needs in one place...at a decent price too. I've been forced to have to buy 20somthing dollar O.P.I polish and other ridiculously priced nail art things. That is, until this month. I finally just decided to search for nail polish stores in Tokyo and got a couple results... Yea, I know, after four years I realized just cause I don't see them it doesn't mean they don't exist.

I stopped by two stores and hauled a bunch of things in a rush (I went 5 minutes before closing in one of the stores)

Of course Max has to get into the picture...

Oh, Max....

and this is what I did after I got all the things I bought...

I was really exited to see that the OPI was only 10 bucks or so at one of the stores (SCORE!!) and they had TONS of things I can't get in the places I usually shot at (i.e. Plaza).

I hope you guys are having a great summer so far~

My New Baby and Spring Nails

2012-04-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

Well, if he will let me type that is... lol
I've been M.I.S again for many reasons... Two of them are traveling (I know, again...) and I got a new kitty
and he keeps me soooo busy. Of course I am fighting him off as I type because he is the neediest attention seeker in the world!!!
But I love him so much <3

Of course I have a million pics but just so you guys don't think I turned into some crazy cat lady, I'll only post a few. He is still just two months old n sum change. If you are wondering what his name is, he kinda has three that i put into one long name...
My students named him "Bobby Wasabi" and he also got the name "Max Jyamma" because like I said he's sooo needy and always has to be in the mix. (Jyamma means in the way) But I just call him kitty, just like I acll my rabbit bunny, lol so He is Bobby Wasabi Kitty Max Jyamma lol.

Look at how tiny he was!!!

He is getting sooo big. This is him playing the guitar in his sleep, lol arms n legs r all into it LOL

bunny, u get sum luv from me too

After I cleaned his cage n started putting things back in, he decided to soil the cage as soon as he got a chance... hater...

And now for my spring nails, I just did some green and yellow nails with some flowers and other shimmery stuff to jazz it up. Pretty simple nails for the week =)

A little late for but my Valentine's Day Nails

2012-02-27T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!

How was your Valentine's Day? It may have been weeks ago and over with, but I was a it busy around that time and didn't have time to post it then.

I went to Kyoto for the first time this month, and it was beautiful (but cold)...

I'll be posting pictures later on, but for now, it's just my nails.

The black hearts were obviously an after thought... lol

in case you can't notice, it's cupid =)

I hope you guys had a great V. Day =)

Kyoto posts and a new giveaway will be coming up soon!