HIDDEN GEMS: LITTLE VENICE + A SLICE OF CANADA

HIDDEN GEMS: LITTLE VENICE + A SLICE OF CANADA

Sunday 17 December 2017

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Hello Internet peeps, for those of you that don't know my obsession with Canada is unparalleled so it's fair to say that this was one of the best days I've had recently. 

It all started in Nakameguro, which admittedly wasn't as striking without the foliage of the cherry blossoms. The walk however from Nakameguro to Jiyugaoka was lined with hip little eateries and aesthetic cafes. After ducking into a small burger joint (a burger joint that sold A&W RootBeer might I add) we headed towards La Vita. La Vita is basically a little sliver, heavy emphasis on "little", of Venice in Tokyo.

The place is really cute and feels far removed from the standard bright lights and neon Kanji of this city. Though in reality there isn't much to do in La Vita.

 The buildings are mostly empty spare a salon and small dog groomers. Yet the details in this little facade are immaculate. The gondola, the few inches of water, fresh pots of flowers lining the street, its all very bougie and all very fake (but nonetheless cute). 

After the long walk to Jiyugaoka my body was screaming for sugar. Thankfully there was a BeaverTails just around the corner. BeaverTails, for those unfamiliar, is a Canadian pastry which is slathered in different toppings (think a french crepe, but not as light and fluffy). The store front screamed Canada as was covered in maple leaves, little beavers, and photos of the home land. It was definitely worth the trip! 

To burn off the calories we walked around Jiyugaoka. This hip little neighbourhood has some seriously cool shopping. My favourite place was a camera store called Popeye's. 

There selection of cool vintage camera's and novelty film was to die for. The small store was crammed with people browsing the carefully curated collection of cameras and accessories. It's definitely worth visiting for the camera fanatics out there, especially those into vintage cameras. 

The days wrapped up with some coffee and people watching. Jiyugaoka is filled with little coffee stands where baristas craft you the perfect drink for on the go. Unlike any of the other stands we encountered, this place was doling out coffee from an old VW MiniBus. I don't think I've ever come across something so ~kawaii~ and aesthetic. 

For those looking for something different in Tokyo, something that feels a lot less chaotic I highly recommend checking out the area between Meguro and Jiyugaoka! There are so many  little gems to uncover in this area, and the vibe is perfect for a sunny day! 

X,

F.

K-Beauty Haul!

K-Beauty Haul!

Tuesday 5 December 2017

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Hello internet friends!!! I've been in Japan since September and somehow I've managed not to splurge on any beauty products, which for me is basically a miracle... That all changed last night when I went to Korean Town and found the best skincare store (SkinGarden in Shin Okubo)! They housed everything from Tony Moly to InnisFree in their two story heaven, so naturally I grabbed a few things to try! 

I bought this for the packaging. I mean LOOK at it. IT LOOKS JUST LIKE BUBBLE TEA. It's a "sleeping pack" and is marketed as a super hydrating product. The directions say to pop 1-2 bubbles, mix it with the gel and apply to your face overnight. They had three ~flavours~ (is that the right word, since you don't eat it?? I don't know..) anyways, Black Tea, Green Tea, and Strawberry! I opted for the Black Tea because it reminded me of a good cuppa' back in England! The Green Tea and Strawberry smelt amazing too though, and it was definitely a struggle to just pick one. 

The next thing I picked up is a bit of a cult classic. The Banila Co. cleansing balm was one of the OG (original) cleansing balms on the market. Before Clinique and other western brands brought out their own variants the "Clean it Zero" dominated the cleansing market. It was all the range amongst the "in the know" beauty bloggers, but hard to get a hold of outside of Asia. In recent years it's seems to have lost its cult following as brands everywhere are popping up with similar products. The balm is great for people who double-cleanse and is amazing at removing a full face of makeup. The oils breakdown even the toughest of waterproof mascara's, but I have to say that the price tag (around $30) doesn't seem to be worth the results. Coconut oil, which is easier and cheeper to get a hold of, has the same effects (plus it smells like coconuts!!) 

These Pink Blur Hydrogel Eyepatches were a bit of an impulse buy. I haven't heard much about the brand G9, but I was instantly grabbed by the glittery pink eyepatches. The silicone patches are soaked in a hydrating gel and I imagine they look fabulous on the face. It'll be an added bonus if they also help with the puffiness of my under eyes! 

The last thing I grabbed was this jelly face mask. As expected SkinGarden stocked a huge variety of  sheet masks! It was so hard to just pick one! They had everything from Dr. Jart + to The Face Shop! Sheet masks that bubbled on the skin, ones with cute characters on them, masks soaked in snail secretion, and so much more! Honestly I'm not sure what drew me to this one, but I'm pretty stoked to try it! 

Hopefully my skin is radiating from all the magic of K-Beauty! I can't wait to try it all out and head back to SkinGarden to pick up some more things! 

X,

F.