I have arrived~

It's been a while. i promised myself i'd be consistent with my blog but that has already gone out the window with the rest of my new year promises. (i haven't even started my healthy lifestyle change up yet)

so let me get you caught up.

Sunday 30th

After a 12 hour flight from London to Tokyo we arrived at Narita Airport. we flew business class for the first time which was awesome! i felt out of place but that just meant that we were in a posher class haha 

We went through customs and i received my visa and residence card and after getting our bags and going through the arrival doors WHAM we were ambushed by a camera crew. -okay so it wasn't that dramatic but i was still shocked- at first i thought they had mistaken us for some other black family. but then they said that they were a TV crew who interviewed new comers (foreigners) when they come to Japan. so we went with it; answered their questions, smiling at the cameras etc. then we waved goodbye and started out mission of trying to find a way to the first hotel. 

in the end we took taxi and that was that. 

you don't really need to know about us sleeping and eating for 4 days do you…

oh but one nice thing about the hotel was that even though it was cheap, they had a lovely public bath on the second floor. and a very convenient convenience store (Konbini) just out the front door. excellent for my late night snacking habits. 

Skipping ahead to 2nd January 

We went out to the local area. there were still huge crowds celebrating the new years. at one point we got stuck in a queue.. had no idea what we were lining up for so i used my awesome Japanese to ask a nearby store owner. apparently it was for people queing to do their new years prayer, the Hatsumode, and let me tell you… that queue was LONG~~ it stretched as far as i could see and i just thought wow.  so we went and chilled in Mister Doughnut then went back to sleep at the hotel.

3rd January.

MOVING DAY!!!
we were moving to our new hotel, closer to my new university. i'd only be staying here for 3 nights and the oldies would be staying for 1.5 weeks. so we sent our larger suitcases via the black cat movers company and hauled our carry ons onto the shuttle bus back to the airport to catch the train. (also to pick up my iPod which i had left in my draw on the plane heheh, clumsy me )  checked out at 11, caught the shuttle, picked up the iPod, got on the skyline express, changed lines a few times and finally arrived at the new hotel with our luggage waiting for us. woo that was a long journey but i was just glad that we only had to wait 10minutes till check in. I went almost straight to bed, after watching a few youtube vids

Next few days we just wandered around getting on an off the trains, i spent the whole of yesterday in bed trying to break free from this cold.

And that brings us onto today! the whole tour bus, rainbow bridge Akihabara thing..

if you didn't guess already we got on a tour bus after eating at the Tokyo Tower and rode over the rainbow bridge and stopped off in Akihabara and wow was it busy. but i got complimented on my hair and my green scarf -my favourite and only scarf- so i was happy ^_^
step-dad accidentally picked up a hentai comic while we were walking round an he was shocked xD. the arcades in one of the buildings was great! three floors for the arcade and the rest was general shopping. you can never say you can't find 'this that or the other thing' when you're shopping in Tokyo.  this one went from kawaii girly stuff to house hold products and cleaning supplies then there was even a maid cafe.

Now i'm back in my room ready to lay down an possible fall asle-- *ring ring!* "~~~^>*<~~~ blah blah blah"

Nope change of plans. we're going back to Tokyo Tower to eat dinner and then i can fall asleep.

Sorry but no pics this time, my camera died and i left the charger at home..in London.. brilliant aren't i :D
Don't worry it's getting sent to me this week.

Tomorrow i move into my dorm room! i'll be staying there for the next 4 or 5 months so i'm looking forward to it x

 <the view from my hotel room>

Jaa ne~ 

A Hard Day's Night

Woo ~


Christmas has come and gone -well almost for me- but for most of the world it's coming to a close, the clock is striking twelves.

My family and i had a great time! there was loads of jokes, even without the crackers getting popped. food was Smexi! And best of all; the Doctor Who Christmas Special wasn't crap ^_^
It made me laugh and cry and was just worth 50 points in my book.

Now this post isn't going to be a long one, or very detailed for that matter. i'm just summarising my day.

It was a brilliant day x 

Happy Holidays! 

Oxford Street Haul ~ First Time In Selfridges!

23 Days till Christmas!


Hello munchkins

I did a bit of shopping this weekend and i spent a lot . . . -_-
I wanted to buy new stuff for Japan. Don't want to be looking rough now do i ^_^


so now to show you what i got!

Firstly i only went to Oxford Street for two reasons; one being that i work at the corner of Tottenham Court road so i'm on oxford street every weekend plus i specifically wanted NARS make up and i only knew of Selfridges having them so 2 + 2 = YES!
And that is the story of my life.

But let us carry on to the rest of my journey shall we ~

Who where has been oxford street during christmas time? they always decorate the whole street and the rest of central London, all the major tourist spots especially. 

Oxford street looks like this right now:

They've hung these big lights all up and down, it kinda makes it feel like there's a ceiling above or that the sky is a lot closer than you think. well it's pretty and people love it so well done to the Oxford Street decorators ~!

___________

Primark

On to the shopping i did.

First stop was Primark, since i was outside it already.
I ended up spending around £70 but i got a lot so it was worth it (will be going back to buy more)

When ever i go Primark i always end up buying socks and knickers. It's like the best place to get lots for a good price.

And these colours were so cute i just had to buy them.
Although i'm sure i bought these before but they seem to have vanished from my room. . .


















Beauty wise… i just got a new pair of scrub gloves and facial wipes.

 Skater Skirt!!! 

I love love LOVE these skirts and will wear them anywhere! usually i wouldn't go for clothing with such a bold design. but it was love at first sight and i threw it in my basket.

My cat is modelling the beautiful scarf i bought. 

it's long, warm and looks great so a triple threat. i love the fact that it matches my hair too.








I bought a pair of hair slips with bows attached, i was wearing the white one so you can only see the black one here.. just use your imagination ^_^

Two loose fitting jumpers, they feel so nice so i had to buy them. plus i'm a laid back person and tight fitting clothing isn't my thing, unless i want to look sexy or whatever haha.

 Beatles T-Shirt. . .

It was simple and slightly oversized plus i do actually love The Beatles. not all their songs but enough for me to respect and admire them.

this is a sample of the colour scheme i usually wear, plus maybe purple, black and white. I was in need of vest tops to layer but i didn't want to for simple plain ones, these lace lined vest tops can help jazz up any plain outfit!

________

 Call it Spring ~!

This is a recently new shop on Oxford Street. i believe it's from canada or the USA and this was sort of a tester to see how well it would sell in the UK. I hope it stays for good!

These boots had been calling out to me ever since i first stepped foot in the store. So of course i couldn't  start my shopping spree without claiming these as my own. It's faux leather but feels so nice to the touch. i just loved the look of them and they fit so bonus!

only thing is the left foot is half a size to big.. now i don't know if that's just my foot or if it's the boots but they're still wearable so it's all good ^_^





Oh and i also got this faux leather spray to keep it looking fresh.

___________

H&M

These boots were the first thing i saw. and they're so simple but edgy i could just imagine the way i could wear it. these boots can deffo take me for a walk in Tokyo.

The best bit is that it has two zips so you're basically opening the boot every time. well you don't need to use them both but i do ~

___________

The Body Shop

Every room should have these!!!

i got a oil burner and the oil and the body, room & linen spritz. the smell is sooooo sexy :3

when i'm packing my suitcase i'm gonna spritz all over it ~







Then i left the store and walked down the road and found myself in another Body Shop, this time i was looking at the facial products

 I walked out with the Facial buffer and the Camomile silky face cleanser. i used it the same day -you'll see why later-

____________

Selfridges / NARS

So this is where i spent the most money. but i did buy a gift for my friend too.

The only reason i wanted to look in Selfridges is cause i wanted to try out Nars cosmetics, i've seen BeautyCrush talking about the brand a lot in her videos so i thought why not make them my first professional buy!  + cruelty free = great stuff!

First look at what i got :

Now i've never bought a proper foundation or concealer, i use to use my mum's or my sister's so now i have my own.
The Sheer Glow foundation was a perfect match to my skin tone; i got it in Macao.
Radiant Creamy Concealer in Caramel.

They made a great combination for my combo skin x

Now for the setting potions.

I got the Translucent Crystal - light reflecting setting powder. it's a loose powder and it only needs a small amount for the whole face and neck area. (reminds me that i need to go back and get the brush she used on me.. it felt so soft!)

Just below it is the pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. i haven't used it yet but the girl who did my tester make up said she was wearing it and hasn't had to fix her eyeshadow since 8am that morning. and looking at her eyeshadow, if that was true then wow this product is good.
She said that i only need a tiny bit and that what comes off of the brush the first time is more than enough for both eyes at one time.

Can't wait to try it out x












We all need our go too lip glosses.

I have a basic collection of gloss at home but i saw these two colours and thought wow.

These are the Norma (top) and Rose Gitane lip gloss. They aren't from the same collection but i highly recommend them.









Next up! The lipstick!

I've never owned a lipstick so this was a first. and from personal experience my sister (who overuses bad red lipstick put me off it) but the same story, i fell in love with these two when i tried them on. i walked out the store wearing the autumn leaves one (in the background)
The one in Focus is their Trans Siberian, which apparently is one of their original red colours from 1980's!
















 Blusher!!

NARS have an amazing selection of blushers and bronzers and unfortunately i only walked away with just one, but it's still a beautiful colour. i got the Liberte which is a natural pink with brown subtle tones, its a perfect one to start out your make up collection.

Just a heads up - NARS sell the foundation without the pump so make sure you ask for it when you buy it! i ended up having to go back after work on sunday just to get the pump.



PHOTO TIME!!

So this is how i ended up leaving the store.



I'm wearing the foundation, concealer and the autumn leaves lipstick.



You can't event tell i was wearing the foundation! so i recommend it for those of you who want a light and natural look but still enough coverage.

Oh and for those who want to know what i bought my friend. . . 

Shhhh. . . don't tell her.!

Food wise… after a long shopping spree you need to refuel 

i found this waffle shop near bond street station

Beautiful right? 

Looking good in Japan

I realised today that, the make up i use now, won't or might not exist in Japan…
now adding on top of my change to cruelty free make up and my dark skin, we've got a mission.

Now how do you prepare yourself for life in another country where it's not normal to have your skin tone. . .?

Anyone. . .?

Well i'll tell you a few ways.

1. Bulk buy before you go
it seems like an obvious one; buy everything you use, full and fresh, just before you go and it should last you a  few months (depending on how much you wear and how often).
a good side to this is - you'll have it already so you won't need to go around spending your money on it. you can save up for other stuff like food an water.
downside? you might find something better. but then again that always happens when you shop around for makeup. only thing to do is use up what you've got then go get what you want after.

2. Search for way to get your faves sent to you.
Checking if the store has firstly, an online store. and secondly, one that ships to the country that you plan to move to, that would be very smart and very helpful. you'll just have to keep a permanent note of the make up tones and shades you use.
good.? its simple and easy and less hassle than walking around town or taking up room in your suitcase.
downside.? you can't test or try out the make up. most girls experience a change of skin tone throughout the year, weather that be because of the seasons or hormonal reasons it happens and it can have a major affect on how our make up looks on us. not too mention how something looks on the monitor might not represent its exact colour in real life or compared to your skin.

3. Find out who else is in Japan
Or the country you're moving too. . .
Search for your favourite brands and find out if they have stores in the country itself. like i had to do some serious research for the past week since i've got a lot of filters to go through.

So on to my tales of discovery.

If you don't know i am black or brown, however you like to say it.
I'm caribbean by background so i'm light skinned but still brown an tanned.
i get lighter in the winter and darker in the summer just like any other girl or guy.
i have natural bags and dark under eye circles (slightly) and an uneven skin tone on my cheek.
combo skin type (oily t-zone and dry everywhere else)
and i like a light coverage; i barely wear foundation, unless the event is major. For me it's mostly eyeshadow, concealer, mascara, eyeliner and lip stuff for moisture and colour.

 This is me with full make up ~ foundation and all!

 My everyday look in winter ~ i'm a little pale here. 

Just eyeshadow an eyeliner with lip gloss

I don't have a pic of me at my darkest for some reason. (new laptop) ~ but this is me with a little more make up since i was going to a party. 

i miss the green colour ~

Now that you get a brief idea about my face and make up preference. . . 
Lets move onto what i found exactly.

I've made the decision that from now on any and all make up and beauty products and other stuff i buy will be cruelty free. Sooooo . . .

Here are my four target brands for my next haul.

Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals

NYX Cosmetics

NARS

The Body Shop

These four brands are all cruelty free and have stores in Japan plus i've heard good reviews for most of them.
The way i found them was firstly i searched for a list of cruelty free brands and noted down the ones i recognised, which came up to 22. Then i narrowed it down to ones with dark tones and lastly i searched their online store for nearby places to buy or try these products. 7 now.
The next step was to go through the 3 methods i mentioned above.
So i checked and compared their prices.
Found out their policies on international deliveries.
Researched if they have any stores actually located in Japan.
then TADAA~~

It was narrowed down to the four i had now.
I haven't tried or tested any of these products before, but i went on youtube and google and did a bit more research to see peoples' reviews and they were mixed but i still want to try them out myself so next time i go into central, which will be next saturday for work, i'll go on a little try and buy shopping spree and hopefully come back with a haul and then a review vid for you guys ^_^

Aren't i great !

If you have any brands that you want me to try, just leave a comment and i'll test it out for you and give you my feed back if i can. I'm leaving in a month so it might not happen. sorry


Before i go...

~ Check out BeautyCrush on Youtube or her blog.
http://www.beautycrush.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/beautycrush

 She uses NARS and other various ones similar. i follow her because we have similar skin tones, although she is slightly lighter, her being in London and brown skinned makes it easier for me to find beauty products.

~ One Darker skinned girl who i also follow is Patricia Bright.
http://www.youtube.com/user/BritPopPrincess
https://momentsofstyle.com

She's another British black woman who is great at giving beauty tips and advice. plus her accent is just amazing to listen too. 

Doctor Who 50th Celebration ? or Rave it up with my girls? . . .

There's always that one time. you finally get invited out with your friends, and then just before it happens, something else gets thrown into the mix.

Now for me this was all last minute.
i went out last night with the girls and i knew that the Doctor Who Special would be on today but then as they were leaving they just randomly said, as if we had already agreed; "so are you coming tomorrow? we're meeting up at mine for 7" and of course i replied "yeah course"

then when they're gone. "fuck!~ nooooo! its Doctor Who Tomorrow. . ."

So my question is, what would you do?

Friends night out VS David Tennant and Matt Smith both as the doctor together.

Hard one aint it.

Toodles ~

A new face ?

Hiya!~

Think i'm getting good at this blog posting business, it's not been too long since i last posted so that great in my books.

Onto the topic at hand.

So lately i've been thinking. thinking mainly about my self and how i contribute to things.
what is my part in time right now?

now i'm not on some soul searching voyage to discover myself. no.
i'll find me eventually or i'll walk right by her, never know.
But what i want to know is, am i doing enough. . . ?

Everyone should have something that they contribute to the world.
anything can count as long as you can see the good it does and it is out of your own good will.

Me? i don't think i actually do anything like that. the most i do is feeding my cats even if i can't.
I've tried to giving and caring in the past but it ends up like a diet. starts out great and fades away before there's any results.

i am on a new mission.
one that will be easier to control and work into my new life.

Now i use to watch this YouTuber - Morgan i think her name was - and she had very strong beliefs. She wasn't the type to be like "you are sinning against all things natural and you'll burn in hell if you don't do like i do!" no. she was more like an information point. she started out normally slowly letting her beliefs and ideas float into her videos, they were never the main topic unless viewers asked for it.
Eventually she started promoting it more and more without shoving it into everyone's faces. And this is how i got inspired to aim to become cruelty free.

Now if you don't know what cruelty free is, it is a term for products such as cosmetics, household goods etc that have not been tested on animals in no way shape or form.

Honestly i though
-well i basically can't wear make up anymore.-
but i found i can.
my new cosmetic suppliers are
Urban Decay
Body Shop
MUA
Nails Inc.
Gosh

These, i found are all cruelty free. Yaaaay ~
Plus they cater to my skin shade (i'm light skinned black girl from the caribbean tadaa), it's hard enough to find good make up for black women any way and now i've thrown in the hurdle of adding cruelty free to every search.

But to be honest it doesn't seem that hard now that i've found the brands local to me. i just have to try them out an see what ones work best - like you usually do

So i'll be back to talk more about how much i love animals another time but i just wanted to share my new aim in life.

^_^ see you guys later x

So what do you need to move to Japan?

Everything.

Everything is nearly sorted. i have my new suitcase and i'll buy my ticket next week or soonish, i've started sorting out what i don't/can't bring with me.. sewing machine, desk etc haha but packing is a lot
more difficult than i thought.

I usually pack only for a two week holiday at most.

So packing for a year with one suitcase, one carry on and a handbag is proving difficult. i'll save buying new clothes for when i get out there. Or when i next past by primark. (gotta have the essentials at least)

I'm gonna help you guys out a bit to tell you the first things you should think to pack for uni, if its UK USA or else where.

- Bed sheets/bedding: they may say it comes with all of that but they've probably stacked up on those cheep material types
- Pillow&blanket: a bit of home comfort wont kill you. If you can bring it then do so.
- Clothes: well duh, unless you want to walk into your lectures in your birthday suits... but pack for the season you'll be arriving in. autumn to winter clothes
- Girls, pack all the bras you own and buy some more
- Guys, Buy new boxers.
- If you can't fit your whole make up collection always go for the basics; concealer, mascara, lip gloss and eyebrow pencil. that's all you need to make yourself look good anything else is extra baggage.
- hair supplies; brush comb, everything!
-headphones speakers just bring your music.

well i could list everything but you'd just be like "well duh!"

Sorry this is so slap dash.. i'm just not in the mood this week -__-