Life in Japan; I miss…


I have still have so many pictures/things to tell you about my life in Japan, and even though it was cut short that doesn’t mean I can’t continue to post all of those things, right?
So to welcome back the series, I would like to make this post all about some of the things I miss about Japan.

Karaoke (namely Utahiro)

Karaoke food

Izakayas

Engrish

Japanese food

This kind of thing…

Of course purikura~

The scenery…

& architecture

My university

 && friends

Faces have been pixelated to preserve people’s privacy.

Giveaway, Update & New Hair

Thank you so much to all those who have entered the giveaway so far! I feel bad but I am going to have to extend the deadline as I just have so much to do before moving back to university on Thursday  Sorry! It will now end on the 15th September. If you haven’t entered already, you can do so here.
This means there will also be a lack of blog posts from me (for around a week), except for maybe a sponsored post which I have queued. I will be back asap though with lots of new stories/posts
For now though, just a quick update on my new hair…
no make-up ごめんね!
I wanted a new style, but with a similar dye job so I went for a long bob with two tone; dark brown (cos it’s close to my natural colour) & blonde (again haha). The bottom layer is so blonde now, yay. I had a lot cut-off but I’m really happy with how it turned out & I’m excited to try out some new codes/styles with it
So finally, good luck to all those leaving for uni for the first time or returning to school. Have fun & I’ll see you all soon!!

Trend Alert: Wavy Hair

You may have noticed it in your favourite magazine/on your favourite model; wavy hair is big right now. Think along the lines of surfer/boho chic, come blogger style meets the 90’s crimp-craze and you got it!

Edge Style
But don’t be mistaken in thinking that it’s limited to particular styles. Gal Models from Popteen to Happie Nuts are workin’ the wavy look. It may have started off slow, but Gal power-figures such as Momoko Ogihara & Romihi have shown that it certainly has staying power. 

Romihi
Aina

How can you recreate it? When I tried out loose waves, I used only a hair iron which can actually be incredibly effective. You can also create a similar effect with a curling iron of course, but be careful not to tread into curl territory and keep it wavy. Plaiting/Putting your hair in buns overnight is also a possibility. 

Murua will soon be offering a special in-store novelty (see above picture) for their customers when they spend over 21,000円 (around £150); 3 barrelled iron – the kind that Momoko uses on her gorgeous locks, and has also been featured in various Gal mags. 
Jelly

Popteen

Ageha

Popteen have also gone wave crazy, and included some great tutorials on how to re-create the perfect wave look for all different kinds of gal, in this months issue.

Will it last into A/W? I’m not sure. Personally I thought this would have died by now, as Autumn drew closer, but it seems to only be getting stronger. Of course as the colder weather hits, curls will be more do-able and maybe this kind of wavy hair is at its peak and will fade away soon, but for now and until I hear otherwise I’ll certainly be enjoying it

Oh so ‘LUSH’ !

Recently I have become a bit of a LUSH addict so I wanted to introduce you to a couple of their products that I love right now.
Trichomania Shampoo Bar
Retread Conditioner
After the bleaching etc. my hair has been through lately, LUSH’s natural shampoos and conditioners have been welcomed with open arms. As you can see the shampoo bar which I bought about 3 months ago is still going – amazing Although it is on it’s last legs haha
Of course it does depend on the size you buy but when the woman told me that the bars last so much longer than regular liquid shampoo I wasn’t so sure…but it’s true! That’s probably my 3rd pot of conditioner but everyone knows you use more conditioner. Even so, I would say they still last about a month which is pretty good…and when you collect 5 pots & take them back in-store you get a free face mask. Bargain!
Since using both of these, my hair is the best it has been in years. I am sold!!
On the subject of showers/baths…

Whoosh Shower Jelly
The LUSH shower jellies always intrigued me so when my fiance’s sister gifted me with this one I was a very happy girly. I definitely think it will come in handy too, because this is perfect for jet-lag or general tiredness, and with my return to university fast approaching this will be needed
I have high hopes for it, if only for the smell alone. The smell, oh the smell, it truly is amazing. I can’t describe it but it’s so fresh and invigorating…it kinda reminds me of the fizzy sweets I used to eat as a child

Jackie Oats Colour Supplement
Next up is something for the make-up bag. 
I don’t currently use foundation as I am sure you’ve seen me mention. I did want to try out a tinted moisturiser though, so I shopped around at MAC and a few other places. However they were all either too dark or felt bad on my skin. So I popped into LUSH.
The colour supplements they offer are great because they can be used solely as a foundation or concealer, or blended to create a tinted moisturiser. I did some tests in-store and the palest of the supplements suited me best, no surprise there then
I’m not really a big fan of natural make-up products but this is very good. This feels so much better on my skin, it’s sensitive and it doesn’t break me out. I also love that I can create my own shades & consistencies by mixing it with a moisturiser. 
And last but certainly not least…

Heavanlili Massage Bar
I once had a member of the LUSH team treat me to a hand-massage at a TopShop lock-in (with the ‘strawberry feels forever’ bar), and the rest is history. I was so hooked by the smell and the softness of my skin afterwards that I had to have more!
I’m always pestering my fiance to give me a massage, because it helps relieve everday aches & pains, and is very relaxing~ So when I showed him the ‘massage bar’ section in The Lush Times, he went out and bought me one. Awww
The one above smells like Vanilla, and it’s so gentle on your skin. As soon as you hold it in your hands it starts to melt into your skin, but don’t worry it doesn’t really melt. You just work a little into your hands, or onto your victim, and massage away. This one is always supposed to be a bit of an aphrodisiac though, so watch who you use it on haha
I really love how LUSH use natural, vegetarian ingredients in handmade products that aren’t tested on animals…because believe it or not, there are still some companies that do nowadaysNot only that but their products are good on the body and smell awesome!!

MURUA トップス ♥

I’m loving Murua’s top collection right now, and how they place a coordinate pic of each one (see +code) on the webstore – makes it a bit more inspirational and seeing a good code of an item I like always seals the deal for me. Casual ~ Chic designs 

They also help international customers buy from the webstore – makes it that much sweeter

Source; 1

1000+ Followers Giveaway!!

☆★皆さん、ありがとうございます★☆
Thank you everyone for helping me reach over 1000 followers!!
To say thank you, I am hosting a new giveaway!
This time some of my lovely sponsors also wanted to help…
so what can you win?
From the Sponsors
click on the title to see a picture of the prize
$50 voucher!!
And from me…
click on the title to see a picture of the prize

‘Rich Eyelash’ False Eyelashes (from Purikura booths in Japan) –
Eiffel Tower Keychain (from my recent stay in Paris) –
Chiara Earrings (from Shibuya 109 store) –
1. You must be a follower
3. Comment on this entry so I know you have entered
Once the giveaway has closed, I will pick the winner by random number generator. 
I will then email the winner, and they will have 3 days to collect their prize.
GIVEAWAY ENDS ON 15th September
THE GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!!

Update: The comments you all left have gone due to intensedebate messing up. I apologise for this, but please don’t worry as I have everyones entries thanks to the entry form.

Tea & Topshop

Sorry for the lack of updates. I had a very productive weekend, and a very busy last few days Yesterday I travelled cross-country to my fiance’s house, and I am now relaxing in surprisingly sunny Wales

Anyway, rewind a few days…on Monday I got to see one of my best friends, who I hadn’t seen since before going to Japan, shocking haha
Casual~
We caught up over some ice tea at Pret, whilst being attacked by wasps…there seems to be a lot in England this Summer

Then we headed off to Topshop. I’ve never been a devoted Topshop-lover like some of my friends but this season I have loved almost all of their collection…especially the jewellery. So I picked up a few pieces 

I saw this cross double-ring when I was with Alanna, so I went back for it

I had to buy this ear cuff, because it took me back to my grungey high-school days haha It also reminds me of when I was obsessed with learning about the Egyptians in first school. A little bit of me still wants to re-live that dream and become an archaeologist
and the pièce de résistance…

A leotard!

I joked with my friend that my purchases must have been the most hipster they’d had for a while Seriously though, I bought the leotard to go under my high-waisted shorts/skirts because it can be quite awkward sometimes when vest tops get ruffled etcit creates a nice clean silhouette[Thanks Tori]…does that make any senses!? haha

My new favourite bracelet and yes Alanna, I can remove it
The bracelet is not from Topshop, unlike all the other items I bought, but from H&M. I just wanted to add it because I’ve been wearing it a lot lately and I actually bought it when I met with Toni & Alanna.
So there is a little update for now, sorry it’s nothing amazing
I hope you’re all looking forward to my upcoming giveaway. I plan to post it by the end of next week, so keep an eye out