Girls' Saturday Day Out: Izakaya Aka Chochin

Konnichiwa~!

Yesterday, I hung out with a friend and we finally got to try out the new Japanese restaurant in Pavillion called Izakaya Aka Chochin. Been wanting to try since I first spotted it a few weeks ago! So this post is mostly about what we had at Izakaya and other cafes we dropped by lol.

Jyan~~ Le me at Izakaya~! (*°▽°*)♪

Forehead so long not sure 'cuz of lens distortion or what...

Only recently I've been introduced to the concept on Izakaya, which is known to be a place where Japanese hold nomikai or drinking party. I actually have my first experience dining in an Izakaya right beside Shibuya 109 in Tokyo which I had drafted a post on but yet to be published. Dragged for so long 'cuz my schedule's been occupied again.

That's what happen when you try to balance work with studies and so blogging and other hobbies comes in last... ( T____T )

That aside, sharing some photos we took yesterday~

Hotate Yaki~

Unagi Kabayaki (if I'm not mistaken)

Sashimi platter~ Can you spot the bunny?

Egg souffle~ We thought it is the size of the usual chawan mushi but it turned up in a huge bowl of super succulent souffle~ yum yum!

Then fluffy cheese okonomiyaki. Not the best I've tried but it was still good.

We wanted to order idako for appetizer but overlooked when ordering but then the food turned out to be wayy too much for us both. After spending hours trying to finish out meal and chatting at the same time, we went window shopping for a bit before heading to Komugi at Tokyo Street upstairs.

I like Komugi's pastries but never dined in the cafe before (OへO)

Had their flavored latte in hazelnut and it was really yummy. Plus it came with an uber cute Hello Kitty coffee art~!

Also ordered matcha parfait. There's ALWAYS space for more desserts!

Nadia ordered this Chocolate Monkey which is actually chocolate banana lolol. Such a befitting name!

More shopping afterwards because Nadia needed to get some clothes for some occasions~ So while she does the changing and catwalk, I snap some photos from the boutique, occasionally took some pics of her modeling the clothes too hahahaha

Pretty pretty, blingy tiles~

#WhereImStanding

After all that, more drinks. I cannot believe how much sugar I consumed yesterday... Today trying to detox by drinking loads of water 'cuz I felt a bit guilty wth

This is what I had_Loaf Mocktail from The Loaf~

And carrot cake~

Between all the shopping and chatting, the heels of my favorite wedges I was wearing came off いやだ! ( T a T ''||) and had to get another.. Not sure if it's a blessing in disguise or what but I finally get to buy this moca color heels I've been eyeing a while...

And bought another pvc-style one from Jelly Bunny because the other day I waded through streams of water (ankle high even with heels) in my work shoes when it rained heavily the other day fml.

I was worried because I have bought many work flats that didn't survived through the rain and lasted like less than a month from being over-worn. What's more flats are my least favorite item to splurge on urggghhh

A friendly girl who was paying at the counter assured me hers lasted for 2 years and that I would be back for more. When I posted on my fb, another told me Jelly Bunny's really worth it. The brand's seems to have lotsa strong supporters.

Strutting off nau, chao ( Ov< )~❤

For Beautiful Tresses: VS Sassoon & Loreal Hair Products Review

Hello~!

Today's reviews are on conditioners and hair mask (^o^ /)

If you've seen photos I've posted on my blog/Facebook/Instagram, you may have noticed my signature messy hair. I wash my hair everyday and usually condition for 1-2 times a week, given if I didn't forget/get lazy. This didn't help much in taming my unruly mane. When I was working part time, my GBF would always make remarks about it but only recent months I have found the secret to manageably smooth hair.

My friends were discussing about hair care and when I told them about my twice-a-week-5-minutes-leave-on conditioning that didn't help, they suggested daily hair conditioning for 1 minute.

That's when I decided to pump up my hair care effort and stock up on more hair conditioners. As an extra exercise, together with my VS Sassoon (a.k.a. Vidal Sassoon) Hair Conditioner, I also bought the VS Sassoon Intensive Hair Mask.

VS Sassoon Hair Conditioner & VS Sassoon Intense Hair Mask

Packaging-wise, they're not the most stunning design.. For both conditioner and hair mask, the textures are silky smooth with light, with salon-ish fragrant.

I applied this after my usual shampooing then washing my face while I wait for the conditioner to sink in. My hair felt instantly smoother, lighter and flowy. I can feel my hair bouncing lightly with every movement LOL (*≥▽≤*)

By day 3, it is manageably smoother and in the following weeks, straighter.

For once to twice a week, I whipped the hair mask onto my hair after the conditioning and leave it for a minute or so. The result is ultra smooth and light feeling that lasts up to 2 to 3 days max.

The BIG question: Is it necessary to use a hair mask if the result's pretty much similar?

Well, it isn't exactly similar. From my homework, I found out that conditioner targets the surface of the hair while the hair masks acts as a deep conditioning, targeting the inner structure of the hair. In other words, adding hair mask to your hair care routine means giving your hair the goodness inside out. Conditioner is to be used first so as to allow the mask to be absorbed better.

Here's the progression on how my hair improved in just 2 month's into using VS Sassoon's products. Photos taken from my Instagram because I'm too lazy to snap anew. Recent photo was just days ago btw.

Week 1, EWWWW_ 2 months later, YAYYY!!

~ ♥ ~

Loreal Keratin Smooth 72Hours Hair Conditioner

Recently when my VS Sassoon hair conditioner ran out, I bought this new Loreal Keratin Smooth Hair Conditioner which I happen to spot on Facebook.

Stole this illustration from Loreal Paris Malaysia's FB page. Love it lots!

The bright and pretty packaging of this Loreal Keratin Smooth range stole my heart! Super love it!

So what exactly makes this conditioner different? Apparently hair losses Keratin with every wash so imagine how washing everyday can damage the hair structure! For that, Loreal Keratin Smooth Hair Conditioner comes with breakthrough Micro Keratin Technology, it claims to "fill in flaws and smooth each strands" with long lasting results up to 72 hours!

This conditioner spreads easily onto the hair and gives off a very strong fruity scent that lingers for a few hours after bath. The scent reminded me that of Herbal Essence conditioner (another favorite conditioner for moisturizing hair), but much more strong-smelling.

Since yesterday was my first trial using this conditioner, I can't say exactly that my hair felt instantly smoother. One very noticeable result is they do felt stronger and more manageable. I notice too that my bangs stays in place longer unlike when using VS Sassoon, they tend to curl at the end of the day when my hair turn a tad greasy.

Perhaps this conditioner's your choice for hair styling day (^▽^)

Work OOTD

Konnichiwa~!

Today's post is a quick compilation of my OOTD which I Instagram-ed recently. These days my shopping lists consist of mostly clothes I deem work-worthy ones since I spent more time in the office wth. So you'll notice lots of work clothing in this post ranging from formal to smart casual to casual Friday's.

#1 First off, Padini peplum top, Bershka yellow cardigan and Nichii hi-lo skirt.

#2 Bershka checkered top, Uniqlo cardigan blazer and Kitschen skirt.

#3 Nichii lace peplum top & royal blue skirt.

#4 Cotton On floral dress and Seed belt.

#5 From last weekend, wearing this Applemint's lace sleeve detailed top.

#6 Boutique peplum stripped top and matching Factorie stripped tote bag.

#7 Lace detail orange dress from an online boutique and Seed belt.

$8 Oh, and a new addition on my Instagram today_Nichii detailed chiffon top with black skirt and Cotton On charity bracelets I super like. Just added this to my Instagram just nau (^o^ )♪

 That's all~!

Summer 2014 in Japan: Yoyogi Park & Meiji Shrine

Greetings~!

Finally, catching up with blogging about Japan again. Past weeks have been about charging up, reading all the books I've procrastinating on and feeding my obsession for instagram LOL

Just a month ago I was in Japan and I'm missing being there already!

It was summer, so the perfect time for enjoying the sight of blooming hydrangaes. I love these cute pompom flowers! Initially, I wanted to visit Hakusan Jinja which is famed for accommodating thousands of hydrangaes bushes but my already-cramped schedule wouldn't allow it..

Still, I didn't know you can find them in Yoyogi Park as much as they're a regular sight in Japan. Not as many but still take lotsa photos hahaha

More hydrangaes~~

This one was taken with my Samsung S5, can you believe how clear is it?! *Impressed*

Went to Yoyogi really early in the morning and had my simple breakie there which I bought from Lawson.

Largest dorayaki I've ever had and had to skip lunch afterwards because I was so full WTH

Cream bun which is equally as fluffy and sweet as the dorayaki. This is the first time I'm glad I actually had bitter coffee to go with the buns ( =a= ;)あますぎる！

After a short stroll around Yoyogi, I headed to Meiji Shrine, my now favorite place in Tokyo! I don't know how to put it in words but it gives me a feeling of tranquility which I appreciate.

The torii gate leading to the shrine, so huge!

Then barrels of sakes lined together on the way towards the shrine.

Went to pray and then explore the shrine area. At one corner, dozens of ema boards a.k.a. wishing boards decorates the booth. I bought one too for 500yen besides an omamori from the nearby booth.

Someone's got a very bold wish. Saw that and I was like, "Ohkayyy...".

When I showed my omamori to my colleague, she displayed her own collection kept inside her handbag. Apparently she collects LOTS of them. I read about omamori online so I was really curious and asked "Wouldn't the deities fight among themselves??" and my friends went huh? ( =.=;) Not sure if its just me reading too much..

My first omamori~

Witness this wedding procession in the shrine area and the groom's a gaijin! Silently pray they have a blissful marriage and at the same time wishing the same would happen for the couple whose been very welcoming as to let me stay with them when I was in Japan (Ov≤)-☆

Just before I left, I went to check out Kiyomisa Well, one of Tokyo's "power spot". There's a history behind the well and the shrine, for that check Google. I'm too lazy to narrate them here.

This is Kiyomisa well~ The water's amazingly crystal clear and when I showed my sis she initially thought it was a dried up well ( =v=; ) Touched it and refreshingly cold!

I sort of believe the whole wish-granting power thingy and have the photos as the wallpaper on my phone hahaha

A teahouse along the journey.

By the time I left, I've have bags of omiyages from teas to keychains and Hello Kitty dolls (=v=)v

Oh, and the drip coffee's from Nagoya. I found a shop which sells coffee beans and lotsa coffee brands. Coffee haven indeed!!

Those small kimono print containers contain green tea and they've got a really distinctive taste to it (O▽O)b

The little pink packets are sakura tea. Yes, SAKURA TEA!!

Didn't need to think twice to add them into my shopping basket LOL. The prettiest tea I've ever seen! Other photos are on my Instagram here and here.

Since we're on the topic of omiyage, just sharing the rest I've got the entire trip from Japan~

That's all for now~!