Party Pics

I have awesome girlfriends! One of them planned a surprise birthday party for my friend Yuri. The party was held at this relaxed bar/restaurant in Kichijoji (same town where I met my mom for dinner last week). Yuri had NO idea what was in store for her, as you can see from the pictures below. Happy Birthday Yuri! And thanks to Midori for planning EVERYTHING!!! You are the BOMB! (If you two are reading this, feel free to take the pics, they haven't been edited.)

(L)Birthday Girl Yuri and (R) Party Planner Extraordinaire Midori!
Oh and this is what my makeup looked like that day:
It's a combo of M.A.C 'All That Glitters', 'Time & Space', 'Magnetic Fields' and 'Femme-Fi'. You can't really see the colors, but it's a gradation from soft pink-gold to a dark bronze-brown.

Time to heal...and move on!

I wish I had more time to blog. I have tons of pictures to edit and post...my man even got me Photoshop for MAC (for 20 bucks and showing a little leg/titty, good deal!). I've been trying to get out and spend more time with friends...not stay all cooped up in the comfort of my house...Blogging has been a great escape, from stress I accumulate at work, from my relationship, and from general day-to-day woes. I sound like a damsel in distress now, but DAMN if you work over 12 hours a day, those bags under your eyes start lookin' like meteor craters, forreal! But right now I need to get out there, and laugh and drink with my friends...so I will have to deal with less blogger updates for now...and catch up later!

Recently I spent time with my mother. Just me and her...one on one...we hadn't had a meal together where we didn't end up arguing, not for about three years. Yeah. It's been a while. Shit hit the fan after I came home from San Diego, broke, broken, and pissed at God and the world. Without my Dad as the buffer, my mom and I went head-to-head with issues we've left unresolved for years. I couldn't take the fights, I even TRIED reasoning with her. But she was not in a state of mind or situation that was in her favor...she had to rebuild a life for herself and my younger sisters. I was nowhere in that equation, and she made it clear that I was not welcome...so I LEFT. I moved out, and stopped talking to my own mother. I didn't even give her my address or phone number. I didn't call her on her birthday or Christmas for two years. I left, never wanting to speak to her again. I felt almost betrayed by my own kin. In a sense she wasn't there for me when I needed her...but nor was I. Death can really tear a family apart, and it almost did mine. But slowly, our wounds are healing.

My mother announced that she finally started throwing my Dad's things away. His rider boots, his history and art books. She even let my youngest sister give my Dad's old sweaters and down jackets to the homeless men that camp out by the river behind their house. She's sorting through everything he left behind. She's even auctioning off his old knick-knacks. She recently sold a fold-up chair set for 50 bucks on Yahoo! Auctions. This, my friends may seem mundane to you, but it is a huge step in my mother's life. No one touched my father's things, not since February of '06.

My mother and I sat down last week, and ate and talked for a good three hours. It was strange and brand-new...yet natural. Like we've been doing that for years. I think we've both healed and forgiven each other. I don't know where this is going, but I think I can have a good relationship with her. I NEED her in my life. I NEED her to stay healthy. I NEED her to be there for me. I NEED her to see me succeed. I NEED her to be there for me when I hit another bump in the road. I don't know if she knows this...but I think she wants to be there for me too.

It feels strange, to have my mother back. It feels strange to actually feel BETTER in general about my family. I'd gotten so used to having a tumultous relationship with her, used to the sadness brought on from the aftermath of my father's death. It is a great thing to heal, and to finally be able to foresee LIGHT in my future.

For once in a long time, I am in a happy place. :)

New URL

I changed my URL, now it matches my blog name...almost! For those of you who didn't know,
'彩り' (irodori') is the 'kun-yomi', or the LONG Japanese way of reading my name. 'Sai' and 'aya' would be the Chinese way to read the character in kanji, hence my name (彩=Aya). Japanese folks use the shorter version of the character for people's names. I hope I'm making sense.

The word 'Irodori' means 'color scheme'. 'Irodoru' is the verb, and it means 'full of color' and 'vibrant'. My late father was an artist, and I guess my parents felt this name was suiting for their first child. :)

Anywho, this is my new URL. So for all my lovely readers who've linked me, please change the URL to this one:
http://irodori82.blogspot.com/

I will make sure my blog is 'full of vibrant color and life' to keep it fresh and interesting all the time :)

Gradient Gray

Another color I'm loving these days...GRAY! I never thought I could wear gray or silver, thought it made me look tacky and tranny-ish. But I likesy!!!

Here's a look I wore out to dinner on Friday with my mother. I finally met up with her for her very belated birthday dinner. We ate at a 'fugu' (blowfish) restaurant. We chose a course which included fugu sashimi, grilled fugu (we grilled it ourselves over a little charcoal grill), fugu-nabe (fugu cooked in soup), zousui (rice gruel) and desert. I had a nice, relaxing time chatting with my mom. Must do that more often!

Colors used:

How-To:

• Apply NYX 'White' to inner third of lid.
• Apply NYX 'Platinum Silver' to middle of lid, to outer corner.
• Apply M.A.C 'Alum' to outer corner of lid.
• Apply M.A.C 'Carbon' on the outer-V. (Make a slanted shape on outer lid.)
• With a pointed detail brush, apply 'Carbon' from outer corner, into 1/3 of contour.

It should look like this so far...

• Apply 'Carbon' again from outer corner, and blend into middle of lid.
• Pat on more 'Alum' to middle of lid.
  
• With a clean brush, blend between each color and blend away harsh lines.
  
• Apply M.A.C 'Femme-Fi' under brow as highlight.

Finished look:

Coastal Scents Haul

I'm going on an online shopping binge because I don't want to spend money out in town...the inflation in Japan is really starting to bug me...so if I do spend money at a store, I only buy domestic products. I wanted the 88-piece palette but they're out of stock until mid-July. So I got the 78-piece set instead. This one has six blushes, liner and highlighter colors.
Here's everything I ordered...My BF gave me the 'you don't need that' face, but I don't caaaare! I can't wait to get everything!

Items Ordered
-----------------
Pink Blending Fluff Brush: 1
Item Total: $1.99

Pink Oval Fluff Shadow Brush: 1
Item Total: $1.69

Pink Round Crease Eye Brush: 1
Item Total: $1.49

Synthetic Concealer Shading Brush: 1
Item Total: $4.39

Baby Buki Kabuki Brush: 1
Item Total: $5.00

Foundation Concealer Brush: 1
Item Total: $3.99

Pink Deluxe 7 Piece Travel Set: 1
Item Total: $12.95

78 Piece Makeup Pallet: 1
Item Total: $19.95

====================

Subtotal: $51.45
Shipping (U.S.P.S.Priority Mail): $13.50
Total: $64.95

Smokey Gray FOTD

Right now I'm going through a 'dark 'n smokey' phase. I like to play up my eyes and wear a nude lip, even to work! Here's a look I did on Thursday. I look like a butterball because I took the pictures after I came home. (>.<)
Colors used:
How-To:

• M.A.C 'Femme-Fi' as base on entire lid, up to brow bone.
• NYX 'Charcoal' from lash line to above crease, blend harsh lines.
  
• M.A.C 'Carbon' from lash line to crease, blend UPWARDS.
• Highlight under brow with 'Femme-Fi'.
• On lips: Canmake Lip Concealer and Milani Lipgloss in 'Clear'.
  

And since Jie-Jie asked, here's a close-up of one of my tattoos:
Love him!

Why I Love Tokyo

Of all the places I've lived in my life, I feel most at home in Tokyo. For those of you who've never had the chance to visit, Tokyo is a ginormous city, but also consists of plenty suburban neighborhoods too. I love the contrast between the crowded, bustling, noisy city, and my green and quiet neighborhood. Although recent crimes in Tokyo have caught the attention of International media, it's actually still quite safe. I have no problem walking around alone at 3 a.m. downtown. Here's a list of reasons of why I love Tokyo so much. I hope I'll be here for a while!

1. You can try food from all over the world, just because Tokyo is a huge melting pot. In addition to the regular 'exotic' food that's readily available like Thai, Korean, Vietnamese and Indian, we have Turkish , Iranian, West African, Moroccan, Cajun, Mexican food...and the list goes on and on.
My friends and I like trying out new food, and we often plan dinners at ethnically themed restaurants.

2. Old and New. I like visiting newer areas of Tokyo since they tend to have more upscale shops and restaurants, but sometimes I just want to wander around in a 'shitamachi'. The direct translation is 'downtown', but we usually refer this term to areas in Tokyo that haven't been developed to drastically since the bubble economy in the 1990's. My favorite 'shitamachi' is Shimokitazawa, a few stops away from Shibuya. It's a shopping district with narrow streets and backs alleys lined with thrift stores, boutiques, home decoration stores, and TONS of exotic cafes. All of these cafes serve yummy food, usually original recipes. Shimokita, as we call it, preserved the old-school feeling of a cozy Japanese neighborhood, so it's just relaxing to walk around. There aren't a lot of tourists in the area, so a lot of the menus are still only in Japanese (which I like). Shimokita also has some amazing graffiti and wall murals, like these:
This one must be on the wall of an 'okonimiyaki' joint.
And this one is for a pawn shop...hehe.
Check out more HERE. View from the station...

3. You can get just about ANYTHING you need in no time. For example, if you needed unsalted butter or mangoes, you can get it in 15 minutes, tops. Not like in the U.S. where everything takes 20 to 30 minutes to get to. Plus, you don't need a car to get around here.

4. Tolerance. The men may be weird about their sexual desires and how they go about it, deny it, suppress it, fantasize about it, and more....yet we're really open and accepting when it comes to homosexuality. I think that's awesome, period. Same-sex couples don't get jeered at, let alone attract much attention. They're pretty much left alone, to do as they wish.

I'll post more reasons Why I Love Tokyo soon...hope you enjoyed this one!

TAG!

Thank you, Yummy411, for tagging me! Here's a fun one:

The rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leave a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was a junior at The American School In Japan, adjusting to a new school, new environment, and trying to make new friends. I got sort of kicked out from the previous school I attended...not for disciplinary reasons, but it was the best thing for me! I had a short pixie cut, and often bleached and dyed my bangs pink. I smoked Marlboros, wore Docs, listened to Liz Phair and A Tribe Called Quest, read all of Tim O'Brien's pretentious novels, and was on the Speech Team. I was a left wing offense on my varsity field hockey team, and partied all night in Roppongi with Brazilians. I WAS WILD, but I still had a big heart.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?
Go to bed, do laundry, sort out the mess I made on the kitchen table (my current makeup station), wake up the bf, and get ready for work again.

3. Snacks I enjoy:
Pretzels, Lays Kettle Cooked Chips, sour gummy worms, and chocolate raisins. Especially the ones from Costco.

4. Places I’ve lived:
Honolulu, HI
San Diego, CA
Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
TOKYO, Japan (THE BEST CITY EVER BABY!)

5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:
Like Yummy, get out of debt, provide a stable future for my younger sisters and of course my mother...buy my boyfriend a Ducati, and build us a house with an Olympic-sized pool, movie theater and game room too. Start my own business, then, I'd go back to school so I can make mo' money!

6. People I want to know more about:
All my lovely fellow bloggers and faithful readers! I want to know more about your personal lives...your failures, and your achievements. Each and every one of you are an inspiration to me :)
Okay, I tag Kayebee, Lani, Chiara and Fuzkittie!

Quick Update

Just want to update everyone on the 'Cream Cheese Face Cream' aka Nivea Creme.

IT'S DOPE. I apply about a nickel-sized dollop every night before bed, and I SWEAR, my pores look smaller and my skin looks and feels smoother and clearer in the morning...even on four hours of sleep! Right after it's applied of course it makes your face look like you've been doing naughty things with a can of PAM, but once it sinks in, your skin will feel amazing!

It's a little hard to blend, so like Gee suggested, I rub it between my fingers to warm it up a bit, then smooth it on my entire face. On days when I hate my life and my job, I dab a generous amount under my eyes. LOL. No, I am not a miserable twat, I just have a hectic job.

But seriously, I thought I'd break out from this stuff, but I didn't! I think it's safe to say it works on combination AND sensitive skin. Just don't use this stuff if you're allergic to squalene oil (it's an organic compound derived from shark liver oil...mmm YUM).

A direct quote from Wikipedia:

"Squalene is used in cosmetics as a natural moisturizer. It penetrates the skin quickly, does not leave a greasy feeling on the skin and blends well with other oils and vitamins."

Have any of you tried Nivea? What do you think? Tell MEEEEEE!!!

Re: Edit
I'd like to send a virtual hug and shout out to the wonderful Gee, whom if you didn't know, writes awesome, reliable reviews on affordable products. Thank you for turning me on to Nivea. Me and my (smaller) pores are thanking you. :)

Lazy Lazy Monkey

I've been meaning to post more EOTD's, tutorials and reviews...but I've been so tired recently. On top of being busy with work, I caught a cold. I hate being sick in the summer. It lingers, especially because it's fa-reeezing on the trains and inside buildings, but humid outside. I've been eating soup and taking cold medicine religiously, so hopefully I can kick this cold to the curb...I have too much to do to be sick!!! :[

I'm planning on reviewing my new Smashbox Lip and Lid primer. I bought a cheaper lip primer for comparison. I also want to try more summer-y, colorful eye makeup, so I'm thinking of colorful, yet wearable color combos. I think I'm going to get the Coastal Scents 88-color palette. I like the fact that all the colors are NOT shimmery. You can always add a sheer neutral or ivory shimmery pigment/eye shadow on top if you want shimmer...matte colors are more versatile I think.

Anywho, I'm feeling loopy off the medicine so I need to get my butt to bed. Will post more soon!

Friday Night Fun

I was planning to stay home and have a quiet Friday evening watching movies and updating the blog, but I decided that I needed to get out and hang out with my friends. I don't really like staying out all night anymore, but I rarely get weekends off, so I decided to give in and try to have a good time. I started getting ready at 9:30 p.m. and was out the door at 11:00. I BARELY made the last train to where I needed to be.

I met up with my friends at Gonpachi, a restaurant in Azabu-Juban. It's the same restaurant where the fight scene between Go-Go and Uma Thurman's character had in Kill Bill 1. I ordered vanilla ice-cream with kinako and black sugar syrup as well as yakitori (Japanese kebabs).

We then headed to club Muse. I HATE the crowd there, but it was the only decent club nearby. It's a haven for any woman who wants a washed-up good-for-nothin' English teachin'-scum, who think all Japanese women are easy. I don't dislike English teachers. I just don't like the skanky ones. The place is also a watering hole for the younger foreigners who live here and work at Morgan Stanley/Goldman Sachs/Merrill Lynch/JP Morgan....yeah, makes me feel little!

Anyway, here are pictures from the night...(yes, we're all crammed on a porch swing in da club!)
...and the morning after. There were four random people (including me) taking pictures of this drunk dude. He got a ticket on his shopping bicycle, LOL.
I need better things to do at night...next time, pot luck at MY house! :)

Some recent haulage

I've been meaning to post up my recent hauls, but I've been ungodly busy at work. I also worked a lot of night shifts recently. I've been exhausted for the past few days, but I'm finally off! :)

My bf recently came back from San Antonio, TX. He was there for training and school. While he was out there, I asked him to pick me up some stuff from the Heatherette collection, since it was unavailable in Japan. So my five-foot-ten gorilla-man went to a Macy's M.A.C counter, got harassed by a gay MUA, and came home with a few goodies that were the only things left at the counter! And he usually NEVER pays for my makeup, but this time he was like "Don't worry about it". See, even a big, stoic man like him can be really really sweet sometimes. He even brought me a surprise....
My surprise omiyage (gift)...Girrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dontcha just LOVE cute packaging? On the right is my other haul (not omiyage though). A new Dior lippie and Smashbox Lip and Lid Primer (thank you L, for letting me try yours, hehe)