Gyaru:gal spam, current inspirations:Momoko and Sayoko

Sayoko Ozaki 

haha what?

Momoko Ogihara  

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Beauty:Sleek pout paint

I wanted to try the OCC lip tars when they were released, but at the time they were difficult to get hold of and expensive for the UK( I believe they're easier to get now).  So naturally when I heard Sleek were releasing a similar product  (Pout Paints), I knew I would be buying some. 

That was back in ....ahh 2011, I think.:O

So what are they .....Pout paints( and Lip tars) are intense lip pigments that are supposedly to be long lasting and can be worn as they are or by mixing together to create new colours.
Sleek currently have 11 colours (£4.99 for 8ml) including blue and white, which can be added to the others to darken or lighten ....or you can wear them as they are if you're brave enough:D.

My current pout paint collection.

From left to right -Pinkini, Pin up, Mauve Over, Minx and Lava

I bought Pinkini ,Mauve Over and Minx before I left the UK , and the lovely Bloomzy sent me Pin Up and Lava last year.

Life: My current loves

My current loves ....

Jewellery ... more specifically rings and stacking them. I never used to wear rings as I didn't think they suited me. However now every weekend I'll be sporting at least 2 and am always on the look out for more for my collection.
This is my current favourite combo...

Sunglasses
 After seeing all the interesting styles choices in magazines and shops here .I've gotten the biggest urge to increase my collection ( lol..is two really a collection? ) that and I can actually use sunglasses here. In the UK I find I rarely bring my sunglasses out ..here it's so bright:D ! Love it. I currently love my Emoda sunglasses I bought back in February.

 Currently lusting after these ones....

Emoda

 Love these!!

Laguna Moon

Forever 21

Victory rolls
This is a continuation from last summer. I've loved vintage styles for a long time but never really tried them as I didn't think they suited me and I thought they were too difficult. I tried vintage rolls last summer and then consequently got distracted  by work and life (found myself a lovely man: K ) and stopped practicing ......this summer however I shall perfect them!!! or at least try :D




and lastly my Muchacha cat bag 
Currently my go to weekend bag and one of my prized possessions. I saw it last year in my copy of Snap Jelly but then forgot about it until recently.After which I went on a massive internet search to find it . This was given to me by K thou.

 What are your current loves?

Update : What have I been doing?

What have I been up to in Japan ...?
 Sometimes it doesn't feel like I've been up to much but when I look back through my calendar, I have been quite busy really. Mostly work but then a far amount of social stuff too.

I recently moved to Ageo  but when I lived in Soka , my week would consist of working during the day and then teaching extra lessons and occasionally  seeing friends in the evenings. My weekends were (and still are) spent with K.
Now my weeks are pretty quiet, just working in the day and no lessons in the evenings. I'm sad to have lost the evening classes but I guess it gives me free time to study and blog ( catch up on Mad Men, Game of Thrones etc etc haha).

Anywhos enough babble ..here are some pictures

tsukemen....yummy!!

Beauty:Make up brushes/Real Techniques travel essentials set

I've been meaning to make this post for well over a year!!!!
So a little history. I always use brushes for my make up, never the ones you get free(they tend to be shit)
I think its important to have good tools but not a necessity.By that I mean I've seen people do amazing make up using cheap nasty brush you'd get for a couple of quid and then people who spend a fortune on mac brushes who's make up is just bleh or pretty shit. My point being that they're an aid not a magic wand.

Hello

Wow ,where has the time gone?
I have been in Japan for over a year :O.

I want to return to blogging and tweeting but I'm not making any promises as in all honesty I don't really feel like I have anything interesting to say .
I mostly want to return because I found that when I blogged before my English improved a lot and ,well I feel living and working in Japan is having a bad effect on my English (which wouldn't be so awful if I didn't need it for work and if my Japanese was actually passable).



Any who I shall try to blog and I shall try to make it relevant and interesting.

Gyaru:Little gal spam featuring Momoko,Yui and Sayoko

My Recent Inspirations ...

Mitsu's Sweet gyaru post has really inspired me recently too.

Beauty:Comparison/review of Majolica Majorca mascaras

Mascara is one of those products that if asked what make up item I couldn`t live with out,I would say mascara.

If I`m going for a natural(not wanting to look so much like crap)look I`ll put some concealer,powder and a bit of mascara:).

So for me finding a good mascara is somewhat of an ongoing challenge.I usually buy one use it for a while and then get sucked into to buying a new one.Thankfully self restraint holds me back from buying every mascara ever produced but when I cleaned out my make up collection before the big move.I still  found a fair few mascaras either half used or only just begun:O

Today`s post is a comparison/review(I say this as I  don`t like doing reviews) type post.

The two mascaras I will be comparing are both Majolica Majorca mascaras.The Lash Expander frame plus and Lash Enamel Glamour.(Also pictured is my Shu Uemura  lash curler-which I love and used for curling my lashes in these photos)

This is my second tube of Lash Expander but only my first tube of Lash enamel.I first tried Majolica Majorca mascaras back in 2006(ish maybe 2007).I really liked the first tube of Lash Expander I had,however I didn`t repurchase it again until October last year because I am always looking for the ultimate mascara (and MM mascaras can be difficult and expensive to find)

 Prior to that I had just used drug store mascaras and had been a big fan of  Bourjois`s coup de théâtre mascara.

I wanted to try this brand  because it was around this time (2006/2007)that  I starting getting into gyaru and was very interested in Ageha magazine (Sakurina<3). Lash Enamel mascara (and the other Majolica Majorca mascaras)would usually rank quite high in Ageha and I figured that if their using something it must either be over hyped or be pretty good(or secret option 3 sponsored)!

Anywhos I`ve tried a fair few mascaras,not loads but a fair amount.Collection 2000,various Maybellines ones,Rimmel,Max Factor, L`oreal, Deja vu,Bourjois...etc etc

I`m certainly not an expert and this  comparison/review is just from my own personal experience and how these products react with me.

So on to the comparison.(I`m not really gonna write too much,just gonna let the pictures speak for themselves )

First up is Lash expander,this is my every day mascara.

For me it hold the curl well and is black enough.I tend to have issues with mascaras(and eyeliners) not being black enough.Although my natural hair colour is dark brown and thus I have relatively dark lashes(except the inner lashes which seem to be blond :S) .I still prefer my lashes to be BLACK black.:D

Lash Expander Plus

Nothing

Just curled

One coat

two coats

Pros: 

Black!!! 

Holds curl well

Last well(doesn`t flake too much and doesn`t run)

It`s a fiber mascara so if you spend the time it can lengthen your lashes a bit/

Comb makes separating lashes easier

Cons:

Can be expensive and difficult to get hold of

Next up is the Lash Enamel,I usually use this for when I'm going out. It does what it says.It is like enamel for your lashes. You have to use a good eye make up remover to get this stuff off. The lash expander,while i find for me it doesn't budge during the day ,it comes off quite easily with make up remover.This stuff can be quite stubborn,which can be both a blessing and a burden.

Lash Enamel

Nothing

Just curled

One coat

Two Coats

Pros: VERY black

Hold curl well(like enamal)

Cons:

Like enamel!ha ...so can make the lashes feel very stiff (which could bother some people)

Can be difficult to find and expensive
Stays wet for quite a while
The brush only has a comb on one side(Expander has combs on both sides) which can make applying mascara to your lower lashes quite difficult.

Left Lash Enamal /Right Lash Expander

Both eyes with and without glasses

Overall: I like the packaging used for both mascaras.I don`t really find I`m usually bothered by packaging  but I like the style used for Majolica Majorca products alot. I find it simple but still interesting.Black tube with gold labels and a sorta elegant regal look slightly Gothic perhaps? 

Girly but not too girly.

Both products have a comb wand rather then a brush wand,which initially annoyed me and I found it difficult to use.However I got used to it and its not really that difficult to use.In fact I find it easier to separate them.

That being send I prefer the two comb wand of the Expander mascara over the Glamour`s one comb,easier for getting the lower lashes.

I like Majolica Majorca for mascaras and I would repurchase these products and intend to try their new Lash King mascara.I used to like Maybelline for mascaras,but I would find that after an initial good run they`d stop working so well :S
In person I think that the Lash Glamour tends to be more noticeable(especially with my glasses) and perform a touch better but comparing the photos above I can`t notice a whole lot of difference.Main difference I can see if the fact that I messed up the curling the lashes on the eye with the lash expander(my left eye) but thats me not the mascara.
While I feel Glamour is better it is also harder to get off so for that reason I use Expander as my everyday mascara.

I feel like I`ve found my HG mascara but saying that I know I`ll still be lured into trying new ones because thats just how i am:D.

Thank you for reading,hope that was of some use to you XD.

Whats your favourite mascara?

Have you tried Majolica Majorca mascaras?What did you think?

 

Photos taken by my friend with his snazzy Canon camera.Thankkk you XD

Beauty:Comparison on liquid eyeliners feat,mac,dollywink,illamasqua and more

I'm putting up this post(rather hastily :( ) after a post on the UK gyaru fb page was made asking about eyeliners and I realised I could take comparison photos of all my eyeliners.

I've tried a fair few eyeliners,not loads but enought to compare the ones I have tried.

At the moment I rotate between Illamasqua's precision liner,Dolly wink liquid liner, Kate quick liner and Mac fluidline gel liner.

  In the past I have tried,collection 2000 liners,Revlon Colorstay liner,No 7,Gosh and Maybelline's gel liner.

This isn't really a review post more of a comparison post.

Here are all the liners I have at the moment

As you can see from the pictures the deepest black is the Illamasqua precision liner.The revlons liner looks(and is abit watery) and both gel liners come out mattish/flat.

Out of the 2 Japanese liners(Kate and Dollywink),Dollywink to me is the most black.Kates looking abit thin here which in real life its not quite so much.

Which is the easiest to use?Persoanlly I prefer applicators that are long like a pen,I find it easier to control.However whats good for one wont necessarily be good for another.For example I have friends who swear by super thin brush liners whereas for me I prefer abit more of a triangle brush. So what Im saying is I think its best to play around with the testers and see how it feels for you.Do you find you have more control with a shorter handle? or the thinnest brush?

(I have photos of all the brushes but bloggers being a dick and not letting me upload pictures properly ,i'll try to edit the post  with them later...so far this post has taken me about 3 hours ..that just getting the stupid photos up)

These next series of photos show how the liners cope with me running a finger dipped in water through them.

This is after doing that once.

As you can see collection 2000 liner is nearly gone!:O Kates going too but the others are holding out well.

Maybelline has gone abit weird but I suspect it hadn't dried properly before I begun these experiements.

Running my finger through again ....

Collection 2000 has pretty much gone,with Revlon joining it.The others are holding out.Maybelline seems to have dried and is now holding out well against the water.

And the finally photo ...in this one I used abit more water and  I scrubbed more.

Kates beginning to go now and you can see  some of the others are beginning to aswell(dollywink,illamasqua ,mac) 

I had thought that the Maybelline had only run like that because it hadn't dried but as you can clearly see its run again.weird.

I can report that the Illmasqua outlasted the rest by a long while,it was still on my hand the next day!!

So a quick recap......

Kate quick liner:

  Pro:Pen type liner,sponge tip.Last well. 

Con:Not intense Black,can fade abit after wear.,availability

Dollywink Liquid Liner: 

Pro:Brush is perfect size(love the brush) , staying power isn't bad

Con:brush can fray :( (mine already did) availability

Illamasqua precision Ink: 

Pro:It really does  last!Super black!Long handle on the brush gives control when applying.

Con:Price,some may find the thin brush abit difficult to use and availability.

Mac Fluidline  

Pro:long lasting  

Con: flat and not an intense black(to me) price,not supplied with a brush(I use a ruby&millie angled brush as seen~here  and I have better photos of how it looks ~here)

 Maybelline gel liner

Pro:price and availability,seems to last ok (by that i mean in the photos u can see its definitely lasting but it runs:S) get a brush with it

Con:Fade after a while,not an intense black,and takes a while to dry.

Revlon colorstay liner:

Pro:price and availability 

Con: watery,doesn't last,hate the applicator,the nib is annoying too flimsy

Collection 2000 extreme felt liner:

Pro: price and availability 

Con:Does not last at all!Nib is very thick 

Overall: I think if you have the money that Illamasquas precision liner is the way to go.Its long lasting,easy to use and super black(love that!) 

If you after a pen type,try the Dollywink or Kate.While I love the dollywink brush,its hugely disappointing that it frayed after such a short time(like a week) so I prefer sponge tips like Kate. As for gels,I'd recommend MAC,its was my HG(before Illamasqua) since 2007.Maybelline I'm unsure of ....it usually fairs so well in gyaru mags,its heavily recommended by alot of them(especially egg).Maybe mine is just a dodge one but I found it disappointing.I'd be reluctant to recommend them from my experiences but it is easy to get hold of and often Superdrugs and Boots have offers on them.So that gives you an opportunity to try a gel liner cheaper than saying buying a MAC one and realising you hate gel liner.:)

Hope this was helpful,I'll no doubt rework this tomorrow as i feel its very rushed but I want to sleep.:( (and i need to sort out the photos...grr stupid blogger)

For tips on applying eyeliner have a look at my tutorial

Life:update, travel

I'm sure every post I've made this years has started with the exact same sentiments...."I haven't posted much...Im sorry ...wow its been a while..blah blah blah" and after ever post I say to my self I will get back on the posting wagon .......and then don't because of some reason or other.

Initally I wasn't posting because I was having issues with posting pics which in turn just made me not want to blog.I have a lot of post ideas but ultimately get  put off with the idea of sitting on my computer for hours  preparing a post only for blogspot not to upload any of my pictures or just the 1 out of a load(yerr annoying) and then just giving up.

Why now?Tbh blogging   became a chore  and I would feel stressed at the idea of prepping a post.
 When it gets like that you know you need a break or to quit entirely.
Anywho I hadn't thought about it for months and months and then I had a few people ask me "what are you doing with your blog?are you still blogging?You should start again..etc etc" .....and my reply would be well at the moment its dormant but I intend to write again I just need some time and some inspiration.(So I hope that I can make time from now on and since the trip I've felt far more inspired to write)

So quick update,most of my time since I stopped regularly updating has just revolved around work and sleep.I work a lot of evenings (which was when I liked to blog) and incidentally never ended up doing much,due to saving for my trip and an epic hatred for my home town and its lack of facilities.

I also took on another job again but its not like before(where I sometimes ended up working 20 days straight and not knowing which job I was suppose to be at)as I'm only a bank teacher(reserve) and thus when they have the work I get called in.Good experience but well since its unreliable I haven't been able to give up my main part time job (which I do kinda  kinda loath sometimes..its shitty minimum wage)

anddddd .....I went to Japan!(back in October/Novemeber for 3 weeks)
I had been wanting to go for a very long time but just never seriously got round to organising things.Then this years after completing some goals(CELTA,getting some drive/ambition back)  and being offered (very generously) accommodation at my friends who lives there.
I used my tax rebate(yerr they were taxing my min wage job the bastards!) and after some thinking/getting opinions,I did it! I booked my tickets,flew on my own for the first time(I've flown before just never on my own or for so long,) I decided to go alone because if I'd waited for my friends I'd have been waiting a really long time!aka never.
Best decision I've made all year!!Love it!I had an amazing time,ate lot of awesome food,saw lots of interesting thing and meet lots of wonderful people(who made the trip infinity more wonderful than it already was).

So I'll leave you with a few pictures :D (not amazing quality I'm a shoddy photographer and some are from my bb)

Hope everyone had a good Christmas .:)