Jul 18, 2011 | Fashion
1. furfur Mixed Material Pleated Cloth Cami / 2. Priscila 2-Tone BiColored Long Bangs / 3. The Dress & Co Le Conseil de la Robe Stole Shawl Tunic / 4. Crossfor Silicon Ball Post Catches / 5. ajew Bead, Button, and Chain Bag / 6. Dosch Belted “Pumpkin” Shorts
Today is my last day in Japan and there are still some things that are on my wishlist. Out of my budget or things I’ve deemed not absolutely necessary to daily life, I’d still love to have them, even if I can’t foresee a way to incorporate them into full rotation in my wardrobe. *sigh* Maybe a couple DIY’s are in order?
xoxox
Carly
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Jul 16, 2011 | Fashion
Hair: bangs french-braided and all pinned back into a roll
Detachable Rhinestone Collar: EcoDeco x bpr BEAMS
White Tee: Old Navy
Watch: Citizen Eco-Drive
Rings and assorted earrings: Claire’s
Faux leather satchel: Ober Tasche
Silk Scarf: thrifted
Pleated Midi-Length Skirt: mocha
It’s been a busy couple days here, filled with family – from lunch with Hub’s longtime family friends and their daughter’s new baby, to a ritual respect-paying at my in-law’s ancestral grave, to a visit with my Mom. (more…)
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Jul 14, 2011 | Beauty, Fashion
I love hitting up the drugstore whenever I’m in Japan to browse all the new and uniquely Japanese products available. Some never even make it to the U.S., so it’s a treat to scoop up the latest. Above are some of my recent finds:
1. Pukkuri Faux Gel Nail Topcoat With CalGel nails being the norm amongst the nail-art-loving Japanese, some girls want to give their natural nails a break, but still have the plumped-up, glossy, smooth look to their nails. This topcoat promises to create a similar look to gel nails, and yet is removable with regular nail polish remover.
I admit I don’t notice much of a difference between this and a regular topcoat, but it certainly is thick and seals in glittery polishes well.
2. BYS Color Change Nail Enamel I had to sneak this one in, but I think it’s actually an Australian brand. (Aussie readers, correct me if I’m wrong!!) I remember color change nail polishes being popular back in the early 90’s (I think TOMA made a good one), but I haven’t seen one for ages. This went on rather pink to my dismay, but I found that exposure to cold turned it purple. It didn’t quite produce the “gradient” color that the bottle advertised, even though my nails are med-long.
3. KOSE Concentrated Whitening Mask I believe one component in the average Japanese girl’s skincare routine that is essential to their beautiful complexions is the frequent usage of facial masks. Collagen-Infused; Vitamin-Enriched; Whitening; Smoothing; Softening; Brightening; Hyaluronic-Acid-Filled; Packed with Minerals – there are so many different types available I couldn’t ever detail all of them. This one makes my skin feel like Lil Tot’s bottom (which is a good thing!!;-)
4. Odango Cushion Though it reminds me of a tawashi scrubber (usually used for cleaning toilets in Japan!!), this is a base for a nice, fluffy bun.
I don’t yet have a good picture of me wearing it, but it takes my sad little topknot into puffy, fluffy mayhem. Lovely!
5. Cooling Gel In the unbearably hot Tokyo summer, cooling products are rocketing off the shelves of the stores. Hub has a cooling body spray with menthol in it that he’s partial to, and this cooling gel works similarly. I spread it on the back of my neck and on the insides of my elbows for ultimate relief. (Of course, they only provide cool relief for about 10-20 minutes until you start to feel the sticky, oppressive heat again.)
6. “Glamorous” gum A gum created as a collaboration between fashion designer KEITA MARUYAMA and Lotte (I think). It’s apricot-flavored. Imagine if Marc Jacobs or Michael Kors collaborated with Hubba Bubba!!
7. Cooling Neck-Wrap It’s so true that your body temperature is affected by what you wear on your neck!! I never really thought about it but once I experienced this wrap it’s like a difference of night and day. Inside the cloth is water-absorbing cooling particles (similar to gel ice-packs), and they plump up when soaked in water. I’ve been wearing it whenever I’m out and about, and though not exactly fashionable per se, it definitely keeps me cool!
8. Gradation Eye Pencil Creates the smoky eye perfectly; one end is a wedge-shaped kohl pencil; the other end is a large wedge-shaped hard rubber tip (not a sponge, that tends to soak up the color you just laid down) that you rub over the line to create a smudgy smoky eye. Why have I never seen this before in the US??!
And in addition, here are a couple more products I’ve seen:
Stick-on Body Jewels with Dangling Chain and Charms: Perfect for when Carnivale comes through your town.
Stick-on Faux Mustaches and Goatees: For when you just can’t seem to grow facial hair.
xoxxo
Carly
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Jul 12, 2011 | Fashion
Hair: Side pony with Priscila Glamorous Curl Rope Wig
Straw Boater Hat with grosgrain ribbon: bought off Ebay
Double-layered gauze dress: mocha
Bracelets: from Pineapple County [Honolulu]
Watch: Citizen Eco-Drive
Chain-Detail Sandals: Wet Seal
Hub says that hats don’t really suit me but I’m kind of partial to this one.
(more…)
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Jul 11, 2011 | DIY
Another week, another round of inspiring DIY’s, projects, and food for thought. Even though we draw inspiration from so many source, make, re-make, and re-appropriate, we all put a little bit of a different spin on it each time. I love it!
img source
Now onto the links!
Cheap Chic Obsession made a pair of DIY NastyGal-Inspired Cut-Off Shorts. Her rips look so “professional” and the finished product is so excellent could be sold on the NastyGal website!
Inspiration & Realisation created some lovely DIY Alexander McQueen-inspired shoes with some old sandals and some rosary necklaces.
Will the secondhand and thrift store clothing business go OUT of business within our lifetimes? Outsapop re-blogs about its demise due to our current mass-made clothing and its inherent cheapness. (photo source)
I love this! How to Make the Historic Pillowcase Dress at XO Jane – reminds me so much of my DIY Skirt from a Pillowcase…except better!
Inspired by Prada’s S/S 2011 collection, Atlantis Home created a beautiful faux fur DIY stole. What I would recommend, though – is when cutting faux fur do it not with scissors but with a box cutter or X-acto knife from the wrong side of the fur. Otherwise you’ll be chopping the fur “hairs” too short (especially with the longer-haired furs!!).
Simple Leather Earrings DIY by freshlygiven makes me want to whip out all my scraps from all my past leather projects. I think this would also look great with any stiff (or stiffened) fabric!
Speaking of leather projects, Squiggles & Scribbles made a DIY Tribal Print Clutch using some masking tape and acrylic paint. It looks so lovely – and the perfect accessory for summer music festivals!
Bleach Black DIY’d that scarf-print pajama-like Celine Blouse seen on Kanye West at Coachella. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference between the original and the DIY!!
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
<a href=”https://chiccreativelife.com/category/links-of-the-week”><img src=”https://chiccreativelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/diylotwfeaturedbutton-1.png” /></a>
If you have a DIY how-to or tutorial that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts! (Tutorials/how-to’s with steps included please! so everyone can share in the DIY goodness:-)
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
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Jul 10, 2011 | Fashion
Hair: right side and bangs french-braided, all twisted back into a messy roll and pinned
Bird-printed dress: Miss Selfridge
Silver Star Necklace: bought in Japan [LaForet Harajuku]
Watch: Citizen Eco-Drive
Leggings: Old Navy
Wedge-Heel Patent Platforms: Zara
Cognac Faux-Leather Schoolboy Satchel: Ober Tashe [Shibuya 109]
Silk Printed Scarf: thrifted (Goodwill)
What I wore when I visited the custom clothing shop on Friday. (more…)
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Jul 9, 2011 | Fashion
Inside the shop: designer fabrics galore!!
Somewhere in Tokyo (though I can’t tell you where exactly) is a tiny custom clothing business, run out of an individual’s apartment, with no sign out front or advertising to let you know it is there. All customers they have hear about this place by word of mouth, and they don’t advertise anywhere. (more…)
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Jul 8, 2011 | Fashion
Hair: First-day hair, air-dried and hand-scrunched with wax in the ends
Quartz in Bullet Casing Necklace: another feather
Beaded bracelets: handmade by me
Watch: Citizen Eco-Drive
Feather-print Chiffon Gown: Coca
Chanel-Style Fabric Marker Tank: DIY (tutorial here at bottom of page)
Black Lace Camisole: Old Navy
Cut-Off Denim Shorts: Hudson
Sheer Footless Tights: DIY (cut off the feet from a pair of sheer pantyhose)
Rubber Strap Platform Sandals: G-Shoes
Having trouble finding the pieces I’ve been lusting over for the last month from Japanese magazines, I’ve resorted to just buying online at Rakuten. (more…)
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Jul 7, 2011 | Fashion
I’ve now been here in Tokyo for just over two weeks, have gotten accustomed to the time-change, hit up the drugstore for numerous products to help me combat the mugginess and heat (more on that later), nabbed some of the latest fashion magazines, and been out and about to the main trendy shopping destinations. So I now have a bit of a handle on what is “on-trend” or, more importantly, what’s on the backs, feet, and arms of the young and fashionable.
Here are some themes I’ve seen so far:
1. Open-Weave Strappy Wedge Heels
Baby Pure Cross-Up Wedge Sandal, EVOL, ¥5806
Wedges are the current height of fashion, popular in wood and cork, as well as the ever-prevalent black.
2. Layered False Eyelashes + Heavy Eyeliner
Scan from PopTeen August 2011 issue
No longer content with just a single pair of falsies, Japanese girls are now layering 2 or even 3 pairs of full or cut lashes on the top lid, with 1 or 2 pairs of full lashes on the lower lid, surrounded by thick black eyeliner smudged out. It gives the eye a very doll-like effect…especially since some girls offset the placement of the lashes at the outer corners to make the eyes look even bigger.
3. Printed Maxi-Culottes
Monotone All-in-One, DOSCH, ¥2980
I’ve seen tiny flowers and “ethnic” prints on these wide-legged chiffon pieces…I certainly couldn’t pull this look off but some are effortlessly!
4. Headbands Worn Around the Head 70’s-Style
Photo: Style-arena.jp
Spotted just about everywhere: long, wavy, often ombre-d hair with black stretchy headbands or beaded leather strips worn around the forehead…Rumi clones?
5. Crochet or Open-Knit Tops
Biancheri Tutu, ¥4,095
Just to provide another light layer; in white, neutral, and black; open-weave crop tops are donned on top of maxis and tanks for a flower-child vibe.
6. Oversized Thick-Frame Glasses
Photo: Style-arena.jp
I guess what could be called a “Fashion Blogger’s Staple,” these thick-framed nerd glasses have made their way to Japan. I have to admit that Japanese girls look pretty cute with them!
7. Breezy Maxi-Dresses
Rapty, ¥5,990
Most days I feel it’s too hot for any separates, and girls here also default often to the “one-piece” maxi; this year, with shirring at the bust, skinny straps, vintage-style faded prints, and a loose fit.
8. Cropped/Batwing T-Shirts
Ribbon-print loose tee, Rapty, ¥2,300
Instead of the “body-conscious” fit that’s been popular for the last decade or so, tops now have dropped shoulders or batwing sleeves to provide a looseness on the top half – balanced out by their short length at the bottom.
9. Hats…Of All Kinds!
Photo: Style-arena.jp
This year there seems to be an amazing array of popular headgear; from straw boaters, canvas Panama hats, and floppy American Apparel felt hats; to Marine-style structured pieces, newsboy caps, and crochet beanies…this year it seems that anything goes in order to keep the sun’s rays away.
10. Midi-length Pleated Chiffon Skirts
Dazzlin, ¥5,071
No longer above-the-knee or floor-length, skirts now are popular in a mid-shin length, in a pleated chiffon…favored in neutrals, drab colors, and pastels.
Many of these trends from above have been around for awhile, and even those from last summer (striped maxi-dresses, silk scarves as headwear, flat gladiator sandals, straw hats) are still going strong.
Other trends?
Snacks: Pickled-plum-flavored dried kelp sticks, fettucine gummis, collagen-infused parfaits by DHC, low-sugar sodas, “dry” Pepsi, the Jill Stuart cafe, flavored marshmallows.
Music: AK48, K-Pop groups.
Other: Tracy Anderson workout, UNIQLO t-shirts printed with Japanese drink and snack mascots, medical drama TV shows, polkadot-prints, asymmetirc hemlines, bolo-tie necklaces, mineral makeup.
xoxox
Carly
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Jul 6, 2011 | Fashion
Last Saturday we [my father- and mother-in-law, Hub, myself, and Lil Tot] set out to Ito (in Shizuoka prefecture), west of Tokyo, to spend a day at a ryokan [traditional Japanese inn] and onsen [hot springs]. (I was trying to see how many parentheses I could fit into one sentence;-)
(more…)
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