Harajuku.. Barbie?

I’ve always found this culture interesting.. The different types, the different looks, the lifestyle.. The way the people around it just go with it like there was nothing out of the ordinary.. I always thought that Japan was very stringent with their social behaviors and outwardly appearance, but seeing this and reading up on how some styles came to be, completely changed my way of thinking.

Who wouldnt love to be in a place where different looks are welcome? Appreciated? Anime characters, daringly bold colors and trinkets? I must say, I admire them and in some ways are jealous of them. I know they look somewhat strange, especially of the Ganguru style, but hey there is something alluring about it right? I’ve thought about doing this for a while now, letting loose and just trying something outlandish with my oodles of makeup and colors at home. I’ve seen youtube vids galore on people who have done harajuku stylings and have grown really fond of them. I want to try it.. for kicks, for testing my abilities, for seeing this art in its true form and creating my own.

Some of my favorite vids are from Dope2111 and Huabvag1rocks..
Another chick to look out for is Rose Shock, this girl has some serious talent and she is so young! I am amazed at the looks she has done and all the creativity oozing out of it. One of my favorite looks from her is this. You have to admit – its friggin AWESOME! not to mention HOT. I became a fan of the Sugarpill line, and I happened to come across a post that they had done about Rose Shock and her use of Sugarpill products and boy oh boy, I was just awestruck.. So Nice.. So Perfect.. So Flawless.. So Daring. I heart this!

These ladies certainly given me some inspiration enough to want to do something like this for halloween.. But what party do I wear it to.. hmmm.. 🙂 Anyway, Enjoy!

I wish I was around to have seen the birth of this fashion back in 1964 but I am still content knowing that its still around. Yay to experimenting!

Harajuka according to the Wikipedia

Friday Morning.. Bored.. Lets try Black Brown!

So I get bored sometimes.. and I saw Shyla do a look like this on FB, so I figure why not? Lets play.. I like it.. certainly something different.. Dark.. Mysterious, Alluring.. I like it! Wee! Mac products!

To feather or not to feather. Lash Blast is my name.

So I have had this constant dilemma with mascaras.. I’ve tried a whole bunch over the course of my lifetime.. and so far, I have come back to the same one. Covergirl Lash Blast Volume.

This chubby little mascara tube has done wonders with my lashes (and those of others) without it feathering, caking or doing damage to my lashes. Not to mention, its uber easy to find in your purse. It’s true when they say, stick to what you know. I’m scared to try another mascara as some have made my lashes “fall out” or “break”.

My observations:
– Lashes are nice and plump as promised
– Feathering is minimal and it takes longer for it to actually start feathering
– Lashes also increase in length (even tho it was not advertised to do so)
– Lashes do not fall out

I had used this mascara for years, but when Maybelline started airing their ads for their “LashStilletto” mascara product, I was instantly drawn in by the lure of long dreamy lashes.

My observations:

– Lashes are indeed long when used
– Pleasant smell to mascara
– Lash brush tends to be a little clumpy
– Lashes take a little bit longer to dry
– Feathering happens fairly quickly and mascara doesn’t last too long
– Lashes fell out after prolonged usage

Maybelline’s LashStiletto did its job as advertised, but the prolonged usage of it has left me with a so-so feeling about it. They certainly lengthened my lashes.. but what really peeved me was the fact that my eyelashes came out shorter! After I took my makeup off and cleaned my face, I noticed that my eyelashes were short and stumpy.. not the long delicate ones that I had before I started using LashStiletto. They were also easier to pull out. I could sit there and just barely tug on my eyelashes and they would come out. I remember being out with friends and going to the bathroom to find little black specs on my cheek because the mascara had started to feather.. ugh..I really had high hopes for it, but if its going to make my eyelashes fall out, I will gladly pass.. I worked hard to get them naturally long… and to have all that effort go down the drain.. No bueno..

Anyway.. It could be a one in a million case that I experienced what I did. But regardless.. I am sticking with what I know. Covergirl LashBlast is my friend.  If there are any other suggestions, feel free to let me know. 🙂

China chow

So, i happen to be watching the big hit with the fam and it made me wonder what happen to this actress china chow. Aside from being crazy beautiful, well looks like she been busy. Admire her. Sizzle

Eos – Organic Lip Balm Honeysuckle Honeydew

I’ll be the first to admit that I have a lip balm problem. I hate the feeling of chapped lips; much less the flaky ugliness that accompanies it. That fear has cumulated into dozens among dozens of different kinds of chapstick strewn about my room, car, bathroom, jacket pockets, moms’ house, etc. Everywhere I go there is a small little tube of dry lip relief. Then my boyfriend went and told me about episodes of Dr. Oz that brought the consumption of chapstick to my attention.


Apparently, in the course of a lifetime, the average woman consumes 7 pounds of chaptstick/lipgloss/lipbalm/etc. Doesn’t seem like much.. but when a doctor brings up a nice looking tub of petroleum jelly on the counter, it  makes you gag a little. Now I realize that Dr. Oz said that Lip balm was non-addictive and that lip gloss was the culprit for the excessive intake of petroleum, but to me its still the same. You put it on your lips, you are bound to ingest it at some point.. be it lipgloss, lip balm, chapstick, lipstick, whatever. So I went and looked at the ingredients of my seemingly normal non-addictive stick of Chapstick. 44% petroleum. Nope, not okay with me. When you look at the list of inactive ingredients – even more fluff! So I tossed my chapsticks out and went researching for something that was organic (as suggested by Dr. Oz).


My research brought me to a brand called EOS, short for Evolution of Smooth, that boasted of an organic lip balm sphere, made of all organic materials and gave you more for your money. If whatever I put on my lips my end up getting eaten, then it might as well be something organic. Eos checked out for me and I told myself to keep a lookout for it at the store.


Low and behold my local Fred Meyer had it. I didn’t want to go full force getting all the flavors (which they only had Summer Fruit and Honeysuckle Honeydew), so I went and bought the Honeysuckle Honeydew. Largely because it was the last one left and I assumed that it was the better of the two flavors. $2.99 was the price; not bad considering that I have paid more. Now the review:


1st impressions:
–Nice shape. Different from the other lip balms. Keeps your fingers free of gunk and it doesnt get lost in my purse. I can find it quick without even having to look in my purse.
–More product. Most lip balms only have 1-1.5 ounces of actual product, but this sphere is a rockin 2.5 ounces.
–Flavor is Simply pleasant. Nothing overdone, nothing underdone. A nice balance of honeysuckle honeydew.
–Rough start. It doesn’t glide on immediately well, but with enough use it starts to go on without a problem. You are breaking in your lip balm so its to be expected, right?!?


In Retrospect:
–I love the product. I would highly recommend it as an alternative to the chapstick brand that is made up of mostly petroleum products. Not to say that Chapstick is a “bad” brand, but if I had to choose I would buy Eos over Chapstick.


Update:
I have tried the summer fruit and it is good but not as good as Honeysuckle Honeydew. I have yet to find the Mint one, but would love to try it. I went back to the Fred Meyer that I had bought the first one from and it turns out that Eos was on sale. There was a $1.00 off coupon on the shelf and I happily helped myself to it. =)

References:
Check out Dr. Oz Episode on lipbalm as an addiction
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/addictions-lipbalm-gum-sex

Check out Dr. Oz’s Episode on Lip Gloss being dangerous
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1320151605?bctid=64735958001


Check out Eos’s website to see what other products they have
http://www.evolutionofsmooth.com/