MOVED TO WORDPRESS.

I'd been toying with the idea for a while and finally made the decision.

 I moved over to wordpress.com.

It is a bit scary, as I have only ever used blogspot. :O I felt like  a change though.

So here is the new link ...

 NEW BLOG   https://vivarilakkuma.wordpress.com

Thank you :D

Kiki & Lala cafe in Shibuya PARCO

I'm not actually a fan of Sanrio's characters Kiki & Lala but when Mirukut asked if I wanted to go I said yes. As it seemed like an interesting place and how often am I going to get the chance to go?

The Kiki & Lala cafe is on the 7F in Shibuya's PARCO. It opened in March and will close sometime in May( not sure when).

The cafe's decor is quite simple. There is a gift shop filled with many cute items and they have a statue of the characters that you can have you photo taken with.

( Above photos  are from the guest cafe Facebook)

Below are my photos from the cafe. I didn't take many as my iPhone takes awful photos.

So my visit....

It opens at 11am.  We went on a Friday morning and queue for well over an hour.
I ordered...
I forgot the name of this but it was delicious. Peach Sparkling non alcoholic sangria.

The hamburger plate was cute and delicious. The fries were crispy and while it doesn't look like a lot of food. It was very filling.

The pink burger was salmon  and the blue burger was just a regular beef one. It came with ketchup, two slices of cheese( the moon and star)..real cheese!! and the sweet wrapper contains a sweet pickle( which I hate).

Over all, it was worth the wait. Cute and delicious. It can be a bit expensive but it is open for a limited  period, so that didn't bother me.

Have you visited tho cafe? What character cafe would you like to see?

Unif Hellraisers

I've had my UNIF Hellraisers since November 2012. They were on my wish list for a while, 

 but it wasn't until the black friday/ cyber monday sale time that I bought a pair.

I don't like buying clothing online. I would do it occasionally but only if I knew the sizing system.

Buying these shoes was rather stressful. I read lots and lots of reviews, to try and work out what size I would be. It was confusing.

I am a UK 6.5/  JPN 24.5-25cm/  EUR 39.

Unif don't do half sizes, and the general advise is to size up if you're a half size.

Makes sense....however I have very narrow and skinny feet. I usually can't wear slip on shoes, as they just slip off:/

So after some thinking and talking with some wiser friends,  I sized down.

 As hell raisers are 100% leather.......and leather will stretch. Logical, right?

So I ordered a pair of US 8's  from Tilted sole (great shop), which is a EUR 38 1/2 and a JPN 24........I'm JPN 24.5-25cm. Oh uh. 

Anyways ...I waited and worried until finally my shoes arrived.

I opened the box......

• Gorgeous 
• Great quality and well made
• Soft leather 

but I tried them on and.......... I regretted my decision to size down.

• They were tight 
• I had little faith they would stretch. 
• However I could not send them back :(. Final sale.

After a lot of debating, I decided to keep them and try to stretch them.
About a month later (with some slight discomfit)..... they did stretch and I am so happy I kept them.


They are my favourite shoes, because they

•  stretched to a perfect fit for me. 
•  are very comfortable
•  look amazing. 
•  go with most clothes.
•  are always a conversation starter. lol

WARNING: The spikes are sharp! I have caught myself in the ankles with these, and it does hurt.

For me sizing down was a good idea, but I have stupidly narrow feet. I have no idea if sizing down would be good for anyone else. If you do it, do it at your own risk.

Do you own these shoes? how did you find the sizing?
Do you  have any luck  buy clothing and shoes online? 

Bourjois Rendez-vous á Paris SO Laque glossy nail polishes.

About a month ago, I tried (and failed) to purchases some new Models Own hyper gel polishes. I fell in love with the colours and wanted to try the new formula.

However the posting laws for polishes had changed and you can no longer send them abroad. So no Models Own polishes for me in Japan then :(.

Recently I went to my local drug store to get the Bourjois's Magic 1 Second Nail Polish Remover (fantastic)....and then I saw these...

(from L-R)06 Adora-bleu, 04 Amande Défilé, and  03 BC Beigé.  

Bourjois SO Laque glossy  new Rendez-vous á Paris collection. 

The new collection is inspired by different areas of Paris.

Bourjois UK site says..."Its formula is ultra-resistant and enriched with vinyl and resins to make your nails shine, prevent them from chipping and keep them looking shiny, neat and full of glossy colour to last for up to 10 days!"

I got (from L-R)06 Adora-bleu, 04 Amande Défilé, and  03 BC Beigé. As they look very similar to the colours I wanted from Model Own.

(From L-R)06 Adora-bleu, 03 BC Beigé and  04 Amande Défilé
this is with 2 or 3 coats. I prefer thinner coats, drys quicker I think.

04 Amande Défilé is a gorgeous pastel mint green. 06 Adora-bleu is such a unique colour to me, it's a striking cornflower blue. 03 BC Beigé is a colour I wouldn't normal be drawn to but I'm glad I got it. It's a fabulous greige, putty colour. So easy to wear!

Do they live up to Bourjois's claims? 

They are glossy and they do last very well.

Last for 10 days?

I've had BC Beigé on my nails for nearly a week.  They has been some chipping but impressively they still look presentable and have last shockingly well. 

Overall, I am very impressed with these polishes. Great choice of colours, easy to apply and lasts well. I am actually thinking about picking up a few more, there is a gorgeous taupe colour calling me and I am still on the hunt for a fabulous vintage red.

What do you think of Bourjois new collection? Have you tried it? Do you want to?

Beauty// Rimmel - Apocalips Lip Lacquer

Rimmel's Apocalips were a product I saw a lot on beauty blogs last year, and really wanted to try.
 However, they haven't been released in Japan ( and I doubt they will).

So I haven't been able to try them ...until this year!
On my trip back to the UK at Xmas, I was wondering around Superdrugs when I saw them.
What exactly are they though? Lipstick? lipgloss?
Rimmel say they're neither. They are said to give lipstick colour payoff but with lipgloss shine.


Any way, I picked up the 3 latest colours released by Rimmel. Eclipse ( deep red), Aurora (coral)and Across the Universe ( berry).

Eclipse, Aurora and Across the Universe swatched in that order.

They remind me of Sleek's Pout paints but with a convenient wand for applying. The wand is a doe foot applicator but has a little well in the middle that picks up colour, I really like the wand. It'd really easy to apply. 

Overall, I love these. The colour selection is wonderful and the formula is amazing for a drug store brand.

 Super pigmented, not drying, and long lasting. I highly recommend these. 

Have you tried Rimmel's Apocalips lip lacquers? What did you think? 

Alanna

Current Loves

 Trying a different format for my current loves post.
What do you think? Yay or nay? Prefer photos?



What are your current loves?

My Blackmilk collection

Around mid-2012, I started noticing these posts on the internet of girls wearing galaxy leggings.
I thought they were  amazing and thus looked them up ...........and that began my Blackmilk collection.

It's not a very big collections but it's mine.
My first blackmilk purchase was made in December 2012. I ordered the Rainbow Galaxy in medium. It was a difficult decision to make as they have soooooo many Galaxy leggings.
Well about 5 or 6 different colour versions. Still that is a lot.

Anyway, I bought. I wore. I fell in love.

They are so comfy and the quality is amazing. Great print, great fabric and well made.

After my rainbow galaxies came the sheer spartans.

I love these! The design is wonderful. I love the peek of thigh the sheer panel gives. Makes an great pair of wet look leggings, a million times more interesting in my opinion.

And finally my last order from Blackmilk.

 I ordered the Mucha, Green Galaxy and the Adventure time Bro Balls leggings.

The Mucha ones I didn't like as much as I thought I did. In hindsight I wish I'd bought either the burned velvet or the giant wave or the cathedral ones. Oh well.
They're still great, just don't like them as much as the others

 I think my favourites from this order are either the green galaxy ( I love galaxy prints) or the Adventure Time ones.

All my leggings are very well made and the prints are amazing.

 Sure, Blackmilk can be expensive but I think they are well worth the price.

Here I paired my Bro ball leggings with a black velvet skater from Forever 21 and some docs  :D

Plus silly EOTD make up ...I look tired and ill because I probably was. Photo taken in Winter. Japan's winter makes me constantly tired and ill.:(

Next on my wish list ...

Ohh I'd love one of their Game of Throne shooter tops and the burned velvet spartan leggings.

What do you think of Blackmilk? Do you own any of their clothes ?

Alanna

Life:Current Loves and dislikes

Update: my how the time does fly !!

Since my last 'current loves' post,  I got sick, boo dry winters and working with children!! Forever sick in winter!

I went home for xmas, that was a much needed (but too short) trip. I hadn't been home for nearly 2 years.

and finally I got engaged :D. It was a surprise and not a surprise. K and I had talked about it a lot but he still managed to surprise me :D.

Current loves

Comfy chunky knits



Skincare~specifically Balance me, Ren, Indeed labs skincare. 

Recent discoveries but I'm loving using them. They've really helped my skin.

Blackmilk leggings~ I love Blackmilks leggings, some people balk at how expensive they are but they are so worth it in my opinion.
Amazing quality printing and nylon.

the consistent winter weather in Japan. Sure it cold but every day the sky is blue and the sun is shining.

Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm~ this stuff is amazing!!! I bought it largely because of the hype tbh but I'm so glad that I did. It's the only thing that saves my lips from being completely ruined.
And I have a lot of lip balms!

Current dislikes

my eczema has returned :( -

I had it as a child but it disappeared and then came back when I went to uni :( . 

how dry the winters are in Japan

dry related health problems ~eczema, getting sick more, hangnails and epic chapped lips


I miss being warm~ I don't think that Tokyo is as cold as the UK but because of the lack of central heating and poor insulation in the houses and buildings , once you get cold it's difficult to get warm again. Sure having a hot bath works but thats not really an option when its the middle of the day and you're  in a freezing cold elementary school.

Current reading: 

Harry Potter ~ I think it's the cold, that is making me reach for this as its a comforting and familar read.

Current listening:

 At the moment, I'm not really listening to anything.

Current watching:

 I am rewatching the Big Bang Theory, it's not everyones cup of tea but it makes me chuckle.

I've also started watching Sherlock. Yeah, I'm late to that one. People have been talking about it for years, but I just never really got into it after watching some of the first episode. Anyway I gave it another go and I am happy that I did. I am enjoying it a lot.

What are your current loves and dislikes? 

Beauty//: Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm

Currently I have about 6 lip balms on the go. 

I've tried chap sticks, Burt's bees, Maybelline's baby lips, etcetera the list goes on. 

The only one I really liked and found that worked , was Burt's bees. 

I have two Maybelline's baby lips balms but tbh they do sweet f-all for me, I think I just have them because I don't like bring without a lip balm . 

Anyone else feel the same way? Can't be without a lip balm? 

Anyway, I bought Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm about 6 months ago after seeing a lot of rave reviews. 

It has become quite a hyped product but I still read a lot of reviews before buying( I hate buying  products that don't work.). 

What do I think? ...

I wasn't disappointed. 

This is a  wonderful product. It has a thick texture with a refreshing cirtrus-y scent  and doesn't leave my lips greasy. 

Most of all though, it is reallllly moisturising. Japan's winters are dry. Very dry!

  I get chapped lips most of the year,  but during winter here, my lips and hands are just permantley dry and nothing but the strongest stuff makes them feel soft.  

However I actually don't like pot balms (messy!) but I'm willing to over look this here because it's such a great product and besides it does come in a stick form too (need to buy!). 

Have you tried Nuxe Rêve de Miel ? Love it? Hate it? 

Places in Tokyo//:Rikugien garden

Having lived most of my childhood climbing trees and buildings dens, one of the things I find most difficult about living in Tokyo is the lack of greenery.

Sure it is kind of expected so I can't really complain. Tokyo is very tightly packed with buildings as are some of the smaller cities I've seen here too, but it still makes me a little sad.

Especially after wondering around Cambridge and London while I was home for Christmas. It was lovely to just see random trees in places. Don't get me wrong you do find that here but I feel you have to look a lot harder than, say London.

Anyway back to my point. 

I've made it my mission while in Japan to visit as many lovely gardens and parks as I can, and there are some very nice ones here.

This post is about Rikugien garden, which is near Komagome station and can be reached by the Yamamote line and the Namboku line.

I went here sometime during November, so I got to see some beautiful Autumn  ( nearly wrote fall!!) leaves. Even though there were quite a lot of people in the park that day, it was still a very peaceful time and we managed to wonder down some deserted paths.

~

More info here


What do you think of Rikugien garden? Do you have a favourite garden or park?

Tokyo//food: Devil Craft pizza and draft beer in Kanda

Devil Craft: Kanda Tokyo
http://en.devilcraft.jp

Large Chicago style( front) and small classic (back)

I like pizza. I like it a lot.

 Before I couldn't eat dairy, I used to eat it a lot. Now that I can no longer eat dairy I don't eat it very often :(.
Pizza in the uk is generally pretty good, I mean you're more likely to find good pizza than bad.
 Unfortunately the same can not be  said for Japan. :(
The occasionally  pizza I've had here, have mostly been crap bar the standard Pizza Hut/ dominos, which are  always the same everywhere just insanely expensive in Japan.  

Sooooo my post today is about pizza in Tokyo. Specifically Chicago style pizza. 

For a while a friend of mine talked of a place in Tokyo that served really good Chicago style pizza and Craft beers......interesting I thought (well apart from the beer.....i don't care about beer:O).

Finally I got the chance to go and I was not disappointed.



I can't really say I have had proper Chicago style pizza in a restaurant  before but I went to Devil Craft with people who had and they assured me it was pretty good.

 So Devil Craft in Kanda is in a  narrow building but inside it is very cosy and stylish. (no pictures I am afraid i forgot)

Taste? The pizzas were delicious.
 We order 2 large Chicago styles (Devil Daddy and ?)and 2 small classic style ( Bbq Chicken and Eden). The overall opinion was that the Chicago style ones we ordered were too tomato-y and the 2 classics we got were much better. In hindsight we wished that we had ordered  2 small chicagos and 2 large classics but oh well. Next time.

I also had a slice of pumpkin pie, which was a first for me. It was suprisingly delicious. ( Pumpkin pie isn't popular in the Uk) 

Price? Well when I think about how much pizza costs back in the UK, Devil Craft was VERRRRy expensive in comparison. Actually when I think about how much Pizza hut and Dominos cost in Japan and how big they are....it's still expensive but I would go back.

Large is 2,700 to 3,700 roughly small is 1,150 to 1,850. 

Drinks? It's styled as a pizza and craft beer place and they do surprisingly  have a lot of craft beers. In all honesty I don't really care much for beer but I do like the occasionally craft beer. Devil Craft Kanda has 15 beers( i think), the ones I tired I really enjoyed ,I only got half pints. Like i said I am not much of a beer drinker. The other alcohol they have are some wines and belgian beers.

Service? Can't really  complain there. Only things I can think of are...it felt like the food took a long time to come out(but that might have been because everyone was so hungry and I'm used to instant BAM food is done Japan)
Also  I didn't like having a set time frame to order. I'm unsure of it but at one point they told us we had half an hour left for ordering food. I guess if they do have some sort of policy like that in place its because they're quite popular.  Personally I like the option to louiter and order slowly and not feel like I'm being rushed out of the door.

Overall: I think I would visit here again, even though I am not a big fan of beer. I liked the pizza (and the pumpkin pie) and I liked the atmosphere. I'd recommend visiting it.

Pumpkin pie