Japanese Days and Manga Self

I know that everyone is supposed to be their own self, but there is this Japanese chick inside of me that sometimes wants to come to the surface and be cute. So the best place for that is a Japanese cultural event, right. I was invited in the last August weekend to such an event. I had a lot of fun and tried out everything. In the big conference room there were movies, martial arts presentations, dancing and singing.

This is the makeup I was wearing for the day. I was using just tinted moisturizer by L'Oreal, NYC eyelash curler and the Maybelline Rocket mascara that I totally love. On top of that some 100% pure organic blush that I love. And that was it. Oh, and I bought a set of cute bow hairpins. Two of them resemble my ombred hair I think (you can see those on the table)

I listened to presentations and I also played karuta and ate some sushi. The guy at the sushi counter asked me whether I have ever eaten any sushi...then he looked at my tee and he smiled. I said I did eat... I really became keen on karuta also, so I bought a pack of them and started learning the poems called Hyakunin Isshu. Not that I understand a lot of it, but I can read Hiragana, so that helps a lot! So beware, some posts might come about karuta! I also bought a tatami on which I will be able to play it. So excited!!!

I also danced on one of those dancing video games. Then I got my manga portrait taken. It was a lot of fun! Do you think it resembles me? The portrait was done by Lainess. You can check her DevianArt profile here. I think she is quite talented.

Party Eye Makeup

Products used:

MaxFactor- Second Skin Foundation 070 Natural
Catrice- Allround Concealer: Beige/Pink/Green
NYX- HD High Definition Eye Shadow Base
NYX- Eyebrow Cake Powder 05 BRUNETTE
Essence- Gel Eyeliner 04 I Love NYC (which I am using as an eyeshadow for the whole lid)
Sonya- Cactus Green Eyeshadow
NYX- Blush PB25 Pinched
MaxFactor- Masterpiece Waterproof Mascara
IsaDora- Brush on Gloss 03 Candy
E.L.F Studo Brushes

My yellow nails are powered by the Catrice nail polish in Bye, Bye Birdy!

Beauty and Aikido ©

E.L.F has got some really cheap and qualitatively good products. You are so lucky to be reading this blog, because I will now share a coupon code that you can use to get a discount.

Just click on it, and enjoy the shopping. It would be great if you let me know what you got in a comment!

How to Decide if Mineral Foundation Makeup is a Useful Product for your Skin

 -a guest post by M. Rochell

Finding the suitable mineral foundation makeup for beautiful skin coverage can enhance and even your natural skin discoloration. Mineral foundations are usually a powder formula that is produced from a mix of cornstarch and different minerals. There is a number of different formulas you can choose from. You should do some research in order to determine which suits you best. This post can help you in doing that.

The ideal of a mineral foundation got going in the 70s. It was to give the skin a clearer, fragrance free, dye free and binding-free product. The item was intended to be gentle on the skin and not cause any irritation. Some brands have managed to make a foundation that closely resembles many of these goals.

Some of the products provide a coverage that does not meet the normal coverage level, so it is better to go to a store where different mineral foundations can be purchased and try them on. Mineral foundations are not known for giving good wrinkle coverage and may not be the best choice for acne or rosacea. Since there are differing opinions, trying it out is the best way to understand how it will work for you.

Reading the labels is very important with regards to mineral makeup. When it says pure or only minerals you should still read the fine print. Sometimes these claims are not entirely true. Even though they are true, there might be very irritating elements in the makeup.

The sun block that is found in a lot of foundations is not included in a mineral foundation. This is something that each wearer needs to be aware of and take precautions for. Wearing a sun block under the foundation can provide it a very different look and feel.

There are many other mineral-based products on the market other than foundation. You can find eye shadows, lipsticks, blushes, finishing powders and even mascaras. The options are numerous if you are fond of the mineral-based skin care products. Some companies sell mineral products included in their manufacturer product line, while others concentrate only on the mineral-based products.

A lot of people think that mineral-based foundations are cruelty-free products. This is usually not the case. Some of the products are not tested on animals; however the brushes may be made of rabbit’s fur. So, if this is a concern to you, you need to do some research before buying any mineral-based products.

The most essential things to remember about the mineral foundation makeup is that it is very individualized. There are many different beliefs concerning the makeup: for example that it isn't good for darker skin tones or it isn't good for wrinkles. The simplest way to try it is to go to a store where they let you try the product on. It is more affordable than buying several brands and looking them. This will enable you to talk to an educated sales person about your skin and coloring. You might want to put it on all day before you buy a specific brand so you are aware how it lasts and how it looks in various lights.

My First Make-up Tutorial and a Short Excursion into Japanese Cuisine

I have successfully filmed my first make up tutorial, and above you can see the result. This is a look I was wearing on a dinner out with my boyfriend. There were a lot of delicious stuff. In the video you can also see some scenes of how ura maki is prepared by a female Japanese chef.

Make up

Products used:

Max Factor Second Skin Foundation- Natural 070
Max Factor Concealer- Ivory
Sephora- Cororful pro
Manhattan- True Blue Eyeshadow
Dior- Travel Palette
Manhattan- Coral Heat Eyeshadow
Random Eyelash curler
Maxfactor- Masterpiece Waterproof Mascara
Essence- Mineral Powder Blush
For the lips I used the aloe lip balm.

I used sponge applicators and some E.L.F Studio Brushes.

Food

Shiitake umani, Edamame, Dashimaki tamago
Beauty and Aikido ©

Rainbow sushi & Kawari maki
Beauty and Aikido ©

Miso soup (the best I have ever eaten)
Beauty and Aikido ©

Agedashi tofu
Beauty and Aikido ©

Sake shioyaki
Beauty and Aikido ©

Tempura
Beauty and Aikido ©

Dorayaki
Beauty and Aikido ©

I hope you enjoyed this short excursion in gastronomy. Please let me know if you would like to see some more similar posts. I am a big fan of Japanese cuisine ^.^y

A Quick Hair Routine

I totally missed my blog during this one week of minimal internet use (I had time to connect to the web only on Tuesday night!!!!) 

This post is about a hair styling tool I got for my birthday. I am showing in this film the way you can use the crimping function to get more volume on the roots. Getting more volume to your hair is particularly important for oval and elongated faces like mine in order to create a rounded effect. I also use the Babyliss flat iron in this video, because to get the flat iron on the Remington one would need to turn the ceramic on the other side (which is basically impossible because it is damn hot) So if you want to use the crimping function and then straighten also, you would need another flat iron also.

In the video I used the following for my hair:

Syoss- Heat Protect Styling Spray
Remington Multi Functional Hair Tool- Crimper
Babyliss Straightener

Make-up:

Max-Factor- Foundation 070 Natural
Max-Factor- Under Eye Concealer in Ivory 303
Sephora- Colofrul pro pallet for brown eyes
Sonya- Rose Petal Blush

AND

OMG
OMG
OMG

I am back from a business trip in Germany and bought my first Dior Pallete at the airport in Frankfurt.
Can't wait to make some original photos and swatches and share them with you!
After so much sitting in the car (average 500km drive daily) I will just relax at the aikido seminar we are having this weekend.


Update: here is my blog post with the swatches from the Dior Pallete

How my Blog is Received

I was just checking my Stats and observed an unusually high traffic from a given blog. (thanks Felipe for that!) I got really excited about the fact that my blog was quoted on another one, but as I speak three Romance languages fluently it quickly got clear to me that it was not that good intended. It ironically analyzed how naive my idea is to alternate posts about aikido with posts about doing my nails saying that I demonstrate nothing through that. This was however the purpose when I started this dual blog. I was aware that my posts about beauty will puzzle such readers as him just as the posts about aikido will puzzle the female audience looking for beauty tips. I anyway invited the author to share a blog post with us about his favorite beer, something he would probably never dare on his own, because it would corrupt the serious and focused aspect of his own blog.

Felipe Bem-vin(d/h)o!