Wednesday 22 April 2015

Recently in Tokyo... | Instagram update #6

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Uni outfits 1 // 2 // Practising cut crease make up for a night out in Shibuya // Waffles in Kichijouji // Konbini lunch // Sailor moon goodies from Akihabara

A quick insta update for those of you that don't follow me on there! Last weekend was pretty eventful, what was supposed to be a big night out in Nichoume (the gay district in Tokyo) ended up being just three of us in a club in Shibuya and we happened to be there the night Kill the Noise was doing a set (I had to look him up but apparently he's pretty famous) which was actually pretty fun in the end. We also went to Akihabara (the anime/electronics area in Tokyo) for a mooch and got some Sailor Moon goodies from a gacha machine (Sailor Chibi tho so I'll be going back to try for Mars or Sailor Moon versions).

I've also started snapping outfit mirror shots when I actually have on something other than leggings and a massive grey jumper for uni. I'm much more active on Instagram than on my actual blog so if you like you can follow me @liquoricepearls xx


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Saturday 18 April 2015

AlphaH Liquid Gold Skincare on sensitive/oily skin | Review

I bought this product ages ago from Cult Beauty as a Christmas present to myself and I have kind of mixed feelings about it. As an fyi I have oily, sensitive skin. This product is basically a Glycolic Acid exfoliator, I'd read somewhere that it's better to use these kind of toner-like liquid exfoliators instead of an actual scrub on your face (especially with oily skin as scrubbing just stimulates oil production), so I decided to try this out. I got mine from Cult Beauty here for £33.50.


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The way I use it is the intensive treatment way, before bed you cleanse and tone, then apply the liquid gold as you would a toner, then skip moisturiser and repeat this every other night. I was going to review this after two weeks but I was pretty undecided about it. Basically for sure this improves skin texture and gets rid of dead skin cells. 

I have quite a 'bumpy' forehead, not spots as such just an uneven skin surface, and I definitely felt like my skin looked and felt a lot smoother. Also if you have any spots, resisting the urge to squeeze them and then using Liquid Gold definitely reduced them overnight as I guess the product dries them out.


However, I realised recently I have mild rosacea on my cheeks (sometimes I wake up with very red cheeks or patches or red and tiny whiteheads and this either fades throughout the day or lasts) - and using Liquid Gold was definitely making this flare up. I did some research online and found loads of rosacea sites being like 'the following products will probably provoke a rosacea flare up' and acid exfoliators were listed as a big no-no. 

Liquid Gold is marketed to be fine to use with sensitive skin but I think Rosacea is probably a bit different, it might be alright with 'normal' sensitive skin. So at the moment I only use Liquid Gold on my forehead and chin taking care to avoid my cheeks entirely. Apparently though Liquid Gold Intensive Night Repair serum is recommended for soothing Rosacea so I might try that.

Pros:

- good exfoliant
- improves skin texture
- reduces spots

Cons:

- pricey
- not suitable if you have Rosacea

Have any of you used Liquid Gold before? xx

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Wednesday 15 April 2015

Japanese make up and beauty bits haul ♡



Sailor Moon Liquid Eyeliner // Maybelline Water Shiny Milky Lipstick in Natural Tart // Revlon Colourstay Concealer // MAC Blot Powder in Medium // Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector // Maybelline The Magnum Volum' Express Mascara // Lip or nipple tint pack

A small collection of bits and bobs I've acquired recently! After I bought the MAC powder I vowed to never buy MAC again in person in Japan for how long I was forced to wait, about 10 minutes to simply pay for an item, not get it colour matched or anything, grrr! I also had to pick up the Revlon concealer because for some reason MAC Japan do not carry the shade NW15, I'm going to review the Sailor Moon eyeliner soon, it's seriously good and the brush is incredibly fine so my eyeliner has been more on point (literally) since I started using it. I literally bought the Maybelline lipstick for the packaging, judging from the name 'Water Shiny Milky' I'm guessing this is from the Maybelline Japan line (quite common to have a lot of English cute-sounding buzzwords for a make up item). 

The lipstick is a pretty natural colour (it's called natural tart, basically what I aim to be in life), but the packaging is sheer pink holographic goodness. I'm not 100% sure what the lip pack is (need to translate properly), I think it's a lip tint mask but it has dual functions - you can also use it on your NIPPLES. My friend told me these packs are used to tint the nipple pinker, because there's a belief in Japan if your nipples are dark it means you're having a lot of sex (yay for internalised slut-shaming). I will definitely try these for bants and look forward to some shiny pink non-slutty nips. xx

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Saturday 11 April 2015

FOTD #36 | ELF purple eyes and MUA power pout for Uni

MUA power pout in Broken Hearted // ELF Beauty Book in Neutral Eye edition

The wonders of an iPhone 6, I could take and edit the photos for this post on my phone! Sadly the blogger app is a bit lacking in the final touches like picture alignment and changing the font so I can't completely post from my phone, but still convenient! Usually I do a cat eye every single day but the stress of making the wings equal has been driving me insane this week so I decided to go sans liner today and just up the eyeshadow. I also gave up on my Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow this week as the lighting is so poor in my room that doing my make up in a hurry can result in accidental scouse brow, so I resorted to my cheapo unbranded brow pencil.

I get so much use from this ELF palette, the shades are more purples/pinks/bronzes than 'neutrals' imo but for green eyes it's the bomb. I'm not sure if they sell the exact same edition as mine anymore but the beauty books go for $5 which is insane for really quite decent eye shadows. Let me know if you guys have any ELF recommendations! xx

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Thursday 9 April 2015

Stunning couture style wedding dresses ♥

The first dress in particular would be perfect for summer, I love the use of flowers which make it girly but also give it an almost couture feel! Because the dress has so much detail you can also choose whether to add a veil or not, either way the dress is definitely going to make a huge statement on the day. You can also keep the shoes very simple so as not to distract from the beautiful detail of the dress.

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Flower detail gown // Strapless mermaid style dress

They have many unique wedding dresses such as chiffon wedding dresses which are absolutely stunning. Chiffon wedding dresses are timeless and always appropriate, and as chiffon as a material is so light it would be perfect for summer weddings especially. 

The second gown is a lot more form fitting and perhaps a bit more traditional. I personally love the fishtail shape of the bottom of the gown, and this one would perhaps be a lot easier to move in compared to the first because the trail is smaller. The lace is so beautiful, and despite the straplessness the sheer lace panel gives you some cover up if you're not comfortable showing off a lot of chest. Because this gown is quite simplistic you can definitely add more accessories like statement earrings and a necklace, and adding a veil would not make this dress look overdone at all. Personally I think this dress is my favourite but the first one is lovely too! You can look at the other dresses by Wedding She here: http://www.weddingshe.com/list/Unique-Wedding-Dresses-112591/

Which dress is your favourite? xx


*This post is sponsored*


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Tuesday 7 April 2015

Travelling around Japan - Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Nara | Travel

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Shibuya scramble

Shortly after I returned from Thailand my parents came to visit me and we spent a week travelling around Japan. I'm so glad I did this because I got to see so many things I hadn't yet seen, despite actually living in Japan. Everything was booked through a crazy efficient travel company which I'm soo glad we did, 90% of tickets etc were already booked and sent to my rents so it took a lot of the pressure off me trying to sort things (although my Japanese was definitely tested to it's limits being a translator for the week).

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Old man painting // Cherry blossom in Shinjuku Gyoen

First we spent a day in Tokyo, we stayed in Asakusa which is pretty good area for travelling with parents or people who aren't into shopping/anime/clubbing as it has Senso-ji temple and Tokyo Sky Tree in the area.

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Pufferfish fins in Tsukiji

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The view from Tokyo skytree

We then took the bullet train (shinkansen) to Hakone and stayed in a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan), which was definitely an experience! It was my first time sleeping on futon on tatami matts as well which is surprisingly comfortable, and there was a stream right outside the window so I got to fall asleep to the sound of that (which also drowned out the sound of my Dad snoring which was fab).

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Hakone open air museum

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Japanese traditional breakfast

 However uber traditional Japanese food is quite the acquired taste (check out our breakfast), and I wasn't crazy about wolfing down some natto at 8am. Glad I had the experience though! Hakone is really pretty, definitely go for the cable cart ride over the sulphur pits and try a Hakone egg (apparently they increase your lifespan by 10 years, yes pls).

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Inari shrine

We then bullet train-ed it to Kyoto which I loved, it's often said that people in Kansai (southern part of Japan) are uber friendly and not as cold as Tokyoites and I totally found that. People were surprised and very happy that I spoke Japanese and had better English than people in Tokyo in my opinion. We had a tour guide for one day who took us around 3 places, the golden pavillion, the old shogun's palace (with a 'nightingale floor' that squeaks like a nightingale so assassins coming to attack the shogun could be heard) and a temple which enshrines an education kami (god) who I gave a fuckload of my change to cos I want a 2:1 in my degree onegai shimasu.

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Gyoza dinner // Geisha in Gion

We also went to Gion one evening to go 'geisha hunting', I had heard it was pretty hard to see geisha as they are all rushing to appointments and usually down back streets, however I found a website with a map which showed a hotspot and literally seconds after arriving at the spot a geisha walked straight past us! I asked her in uber polite Japanese for a picture and she nodded but carried on walking so I got this picture of her back. Still so happy though! We saw another 3 over the evening, they're always hurrying so you literally catch a glimpse but I totally recommend it, especially if you have a interest in geisha as part of Japanese traditional culture.

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The golden pavilion

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Plum blossom in Kyoto // Hello Kitty Kyoto style

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Obligatory deer selfie in Nara

We also took a day trip to Nara, mostly for the deer but there is also a massive Buddhist temple there which is extremely beautiful. Apparently the myth goes that deer were the messengers of a kami or Buddha (please enjoy my precise knowledge) so until the end of WW2 they had divine status and killing one was a capital offence!

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They are literally everywhere and you can buy crackers to feed them which turns them into aggressive little buggers, they will head butt you HARD and bite you if you don't distribute the food quick enough. I also had one take a fancy to my cherry blossom ice cream and follow me for 10 minutes trying to jump up and grab it so the cuteness kind of wears off fast.

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Shinkansen ticket // Puppies in pet shop by our hotel

We then headed back to Tokyo by shinkansen, which is crazily fast, clean and comfortable so if you are travelling around Japan definitely take it at least once.

Hope you guys found this interesting! No doubt I will be doing more travelling in the last few months of my study abroad so there will probably be more posts like this ^^ xx

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Sunday 5 April 2015

Hair extension love with UU Extensions ♥

Recently I've been thinking I might venture into the world of hair extensions, as after a bit of nightmare at the hair dressers vis a vis layering I have been desperately trying to get my hair back to all one length - hence it has been getting slowly shorter! Asides from clip in coloured streaks when I was 17 (so cool) I haven't tried *proper* hair extensions, but UU Hair Extensions have some fab ones.

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For coloured girlies straight hair extensions are a great option, especially as they are real hair these can be dyed and styed to match and give some volume to hair that is bleached and dyed often. I would go for an ash blonde set as these are super easy to dye to an unnatural colour, especially as my hair is silver at the moment they would just need to be washed with purple shampoo or toned, and they'd be good to go! You also wouldn't need to worry about your hair extensions not matching your hair colour.

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I want my old mega pony tail back pls

They also cater to a myriad of hair textures with Light yaki hair extensions and coarse yaki hair extensions too. I'm totally lusting after a set of clip ins just so I can be a long haired gal again! Do you guys use hair extensions? xx
*This post is sponsored*

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Friday 3 April 2015

Where have I been? Travelling in Thailand - Bangkok & Koh Phangan Full Moon Party tips | Travel

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So some pictures from my time in Thailand! In the last post I mentioned what happened at the beginning of my travels in Thailand, 3 days in at the Full Moon Party my phone and camera both got stolen - slight downer on the holiday! I'd love to say this was an eye opener for me and I learnt to live without social media and yada yada but no, it was just a bit poo - I was on holiday to a place I'd never been to and I could't take any pictures, or safety wise contact my friend if I lost her.
I was pick pocketed while dancing, and as there is basically zero crime in Japan I'd kind of lost my UK street wiles.

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By the giant reclining gold Buddha in Bangkok, notice how I was forced to cover up with a provided neon gown but my male friend wearing basically the same length shorts didn't have to...

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Anyways, trip wise we flew into Bangkok, spent a day a half there and then took an overnight (11 hour) train down South to Surat Thani, took a ferry over to Koh Phangan and spent about 4 days there. We were meant to then go to Koh Samui and spend 4 days there, but after 1 day on the island we hated it so much we decided to go straight back to Koh Phangan! Samui is extremely touristy, and even though Phangan is too the beaches are beautiful and for Thai standards it was very clean. Samui was full of families, crowded, dirty beaches and the sight seeing spots weren't great. So we then returned to Samui for two more days instead of our original plan, and then took the overnight train back up to Bangkok where we stayed for another 3 days.

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My first ever time getting room service in a hotel // 'Penis rock' in Koh Samui (look it up, it's an actual thing)

We also went to see a Ladybody show in Bangkok which was quite cheap and definitely an experience, the costumes/sets are amazing and they mime pop songs in various languages (Chinese, Japanese, English) to appeal to the various tourists in the audience. I did some research though and I feel a bit douchey using the word ladyboy, as they are just trans women who legally cannot change their gender due to Thai law, but are tolerated due to the prevalence of Buddhism in Thai society.

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If I went again I would do 3 days in Bangkok at the beginning a nice hotel (5* hotels and the equivalent are extremely cheap, I paid around £120 for 3 nights in mine which was insane), and then go down (flying) and go to Koh Phangan for the full moon party, and to Koh Tao and Koh Phi Phi which are also meant to be extremely beautiful. On our last day in Koh Phangan we took a taxi across the island to Koh Salaad and went snorkelling (my first time) and saw some amazing fish, for about £2 snorkel and flipper rental - definitely recommended.

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Finding all the Hello Kitty in Koh Samui // Cocohut Beach in Koh Phangan

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THOSE BOOBS. Literally insane.

My tips for Thailand:

- bring tissues and hand sanistiser with you EVERYWHERE, toilets there aren't great
- wear closed shoes i.e converse/trainers if you go to full moon
- keep an eye on your belongings
- bring a rucksack not a suitcase unless you are staying in one place for the whole trip
- bring plasters for blisters/mosquito repellent
- sun cream is absolutely essential
- get a pair of seriously comfy sandals for keeping your feet cool and comfortable while sight seeing
- don't take all your money out with you everyday, squirrel away the rest of it in your hotel/hostel

Hope you guys enjoyed this! Have you been to Thailand? xx
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Wednesday 1 April 2015

FOTD #35 | Sakura eyeshadow look for enjoying the cherry blossom in Tokyo/ 花見メイク

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MUA palette in Poptastic // MAC lipstick in Creme Cup

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So where have I been? Well as I mentioned in my last post I was off to Thailand, and three days into my trip both my camera and phone got stolen (full moon party, was a bit drunk and should've been keeping a better eye out for pickpockets) - hence the lack of blogging! I then spent a bit of time without a phone, which was extremely traumatic for me and I will probably need counselling for the experience in later life. However, now all the various deities (my parents) have blessed me with an iPhone 6 which actually takes better quality photos than my previous camera did, so I'll now be taking blog pics with my phone til my travel insurance gets sorted.

After Thailand my parents visited me in Japan and we went to Hakone, Kyoto and Nara so I have pictures from all of those to blog about, look out for more travel posts! Anyways this is a look I did for doing hanami (flower viewing, i.e going to see the cherry blossom) yesterday with some friends. The sakura are only out for about a week and Tokyo is gloriously warm by British standards (only just April but able to go out with bare legs) so we went out to enjoy the views in the park. People often go in big groups and have a picnic and get drunk, but there are also lots of couples who go for hanami dates which I totally get as being surrounded by cherry blossom trees (and the falling petals) is uber romantic. Hope everyone is enjoying Spring wherever you are! xx
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