Shiny Violet Star

Friday, June 24, 2016

J-Fashionista's Guide to Traveling Stylish feat. HomeAway!

Not only has it been convention season over on my side of the United States this summer, but there has also been a huge trend of plane tickets to Japan/Korea/ect being extremely affordable. A lot of people have made it a thing to not only travel on their school breaks but to plan for their ultimate summer vacation. There are plenty of overseas travelers and convention go-ers especially this summer!

We've seen plenty of posts on "How to travel in lolita" and "How to travel as a cosplayer", and I'm blessed to say, that my deal is a completely different ballgame in terms of traveling with my stuff. Regardless, I would like to give mad props to those people for lugging the crazy amount of stuff that they do with them to their destination. In my case? Traveling is very complex but also simple.

“While I haven’t had experience flying as a gyaru or anything else J-fashion related, it’s come to my attention that it can be quite the challenge to pack all the essentials in a few suitcases and a carry on. I thought to myself “What would I wear and pack on a long flight without sacrificing my J-fashion” Being eccentric as I am, this is a huge challenge because not only have to narrow down my wardrobe and coordinate the perfect outfit for my vacation in order to look flawless; but I also have to narrow down what I'm bring from my MASSIVE make up collection.”

For convention go-ers and myself, this is a huge challenge we face, and can also be one that's a piece of cake for veteran travelers. Some of us travel a lot to get to certain destinations-domestically for events and conventions. Then there are some of us in for the long haul of living out that dream vacation of going to Tokyo, Japan; which happens to be a huge fashion capital of the world. It's only natural to want to look on par with the flawless girls who trek the walkways of Shibuya and Harajuku districts! 

So let's get started shall we? 

First comes first when planning your outfits and what one should haul along with them for travels like these: determine your destination and how long you're staying? Are you going somewhere where there is a huge event? Are you vacationing and just want to bring your personal style along? How many days are you going? Will this determine what you will pack and how many outfits you will bring? How long are you going to be on your means on transportation whether it be car, bus, or plane? 

In my case? Tokyo, Japan's packing plan would be very similar but a completely different ballgame for me in terms of packing due to airport regulations and such an extended stay. For this blog, I'm going to keep it simple and keep it domestic considering my lack of experience with flying! Let's say I'm going to a Japanese Fashion event for the summer. Conventions have plenty of these types of events at them and it IS convention season. Anime Expo in Los Angeles, San Diego Comic Con- for example or even another con are coming up this summer! It's going to be extremely hot in certain places depending on where your destination is-so dress for the weather! 

Gyaru fashion originally is based on a "beach gal" vibe. Gyaru fashion no matter what substyle, I feel like shines the brightest during the summer season. For this request to do a look book in my own style is perfect for summer. Like I said before, while gyaru fashion while cute in the winter, the best outfits I've seen are the ones meant for summer. Short skirts, maxi dresses, and cute shoes are always staple regardless of the season and weather! I've noticed girls wear mini skirts and heels in the dead of winter under a thick coat if it meant being fashionable! But in terms of the  summer season, this means bright colors and floral prints with those staples are a must but that doesn't mean that you have to be uncomfortable in terms of traveling. Let's give us the situation of getting off the plane or bus and not having the option or luxury of fixing up at the hotel and having to go straight to the venue as is in your airport outfit because you have something important you have to attend. As stressful as the time constraint can be, you don't have to dress frumpy and you don't have to sacrifice your style/make up. Use your time wisely and plan accordingly, and you'll be fine!






OUTFIT/CLOTHES COORDINATION: 

Let's first start with some general outfit planning before showcasing a lookbook later on in the blog. My "airplane" or "bus" outfit would be super comfy. I think this is incredibly important for a flight especially because you're on the flight for so long. However, a lot of people think that comfort means sacrificing stylish and put together. For example, we see celebrities exiting the airport or travel terminals all the time either looking one of two ways. Dead and like they rolled out of bed, or well rested and flawless. I think anyone would want to look like the latter.  In my case, outfit wise, I highly recommend wearing something loose fitting. You're going to be sitting for awhile in a rather cramped space. For the summer time I suggest an airport outfit possibly being a maxi dress and flat shoes.  Also, I don't care where you might be, regardless for the plane or destination-be prepared for both. You might need flat shoes if your feet give out and it might get cold at night. In terms of an outfit. When picking your dress consider also bringing a cardigan or a throw over just in case you get cold. base it on something that you can have neutral colors for. This will eventually transition you into your make up and what you can bring in your carry on on the plane or bus.If you have to wear light make up because none of your "big gun" stuff isn't so travel friendly or has to stay in a different bag, consider wearing light colored clothes. As tempting as it is to wear black, if you're going to bust out a cheap black eye shadow palette with tons of fall out just because it's travel friendly-think again. Nothing it worse than making a huge mess and looking like a raccoon. Keep it simple and keep a neutral color palette in mind when it comes to your clothes as much as your make up- unless you have the luxury of having a pop of color. 

In terms of flat shoes, keep in mind that sandals and such can be potentially dangerous because they're open toed. Even if you *just* have to throw on those cheap roll up flats that go in your purse on the plane-do it. You can change into prettier open toed shoes once you're off the bus or plane. 

When you first board your plane or bus, sunglasses and a cute up-do hair style will be your best friend. You'll be applying your make up on the plane, so there's not much point of applying it there. If anything only focus on small necessities upon departure. Eye brows should be filled, mascara (maybe), and lip gloss. You can focus on correcting imperfections when you're on your means of transportation an hour before you hit where you are supposed to be. 





FACE/MAKE UP/SKIN CARE: 






 SKINCARE IS EVERYTHING! All those little samples you might have possibly horded up from Sephora or your online venture into Etude House, will come handy. Here are some of the things I would personally bring! Travel sized toner would be a must to freshen up the skin. Sheet-masks are also an option for a long travel time. 

Make up? These are my picks to fit into a small make up bag!


If you have a packet of travel sized primer place it in your bag. Concealer is also very necessary because you don't want to cake on your face with loads of foundation. Because it's summer time and you're on a means of transportation (and possibly beside people who don't want make up to possibly fly on them)-BB Cushions are not only travel friendly but also a way to have decent coverage without feeling like your make up will melt off from the heat. This is why concealer is very important, because BB Cushions aren't incredibly high coverage and are light. While they've been trendy in the South Korea and Japan for quite some time, they've just launched in the US. Target carries the Laniege one and L'oreal also just released the Lumi Cushion! These are also great because they have a mirror and you're able to touch up on the go. Personally I use the Etude House Precious Mineral Cushion in 'Pearl Aura' because of the glowing highlight elements.

Sometimes BB Cushions are pretty wet on the skin especially since the trend in South Korea especially is 'wet looking' or 'glowing skin'. If you don't like this look, set your face with a travel sized translucent HD Powder. This is probably the messiest step on the plane so be mindful of the people around you when you apply!

In terms of eye brows, eye brow gel and a pencil are necessary. Your brows will frame your face and also help you out if your eye make up is light!

Eye make up is a huge statement to gyaru make up or Japanese Fashion based make up looks! Travel sized eye shadow palettes are a huge life saver. Personally I use brands like 'Solone' and "Etude House' which make nice and affordable travel sized palettes that have neutral colors or a pop of color! When choosing your palettes for travel in general, be mindful of them being well rounded for each style and outfit you're intending to go for. If you're not huge on the shimmery shades or don't feel like Etude House or overseas brands from Asia pack enough of a pigment punch, Smashbox has the 'Full Exposure' palette in a travel-sized mini and Urban Decay has the 'Naked Basics' palettes that are well coveted among make up junkies!

Eyeliner is a huge must this season. You could opt for the basic black eyeliner to enhance an eye look. Or you could adopt the 'color eye-liner' trend that is very popular this season. NYX Cosmetics has recently released a very affordable eyeliner line titled, 'Vivid Brights' with many colors that pack an amazing punch of pigment.






Highlighting and contouring are a must for me and most others. I personally pick a 'two-in-one' stick for highlighting and contouring to get both out of the way and have both products in one container. Sometimes compacts can be bulky and take up space in a make up bag (and also have the risk of breaking or being dropped)  so using a duo-stick format is very favorable. NYX has also came out with one of these 'duo-sticks' but personally I use the Etude House Play 101 'Highlight and Contour' duo stick and the blending brush that's meant for the line.

Pick a good colored blush or two for your trip. These can also potentially double as eye shadow if you want a pop of color on your eyes over your vacation. Also pick a favorite mascara to liven up your eyes if you're going for more neutral eyes than usual and are using false lashes.

In terms of false lashes, no gyaru would be complete without her top and bottom lashes. Here, I am packing and using the 'Eyemazing' eyelashes in style 002 because of the volume they give. They also come in a separate container but if you like, there are places such as Daiso or the internet that sells 'eyelash cases' for your eyelashes during travel so you don't have to pack the entire pack! This also can enable you to bring multiple styles of eyelashes in and it be in a compact space. For bottom lashes I'm using Diamond Lash in 'Natural Eye'. If your eye make up is neutral, eyelashes will give your eyes that dramatic effect needed. In terms of Japanese fashion-it's a must to achieve that dramatic look that is coveted among enthusiasts! With this all said, DO NOT forget to bring eyeliner and eye lash glue! Malfunctions happen! Both are a life saver.




For a lip color you can pack your favorite lipstick or lip tint. Finally, setting spray will help your make up last all day long in that summer heat! You won't be melting anytime soon!

Also you'll obviously need to bring make up brushes for your trip so be sure to bring those as well!


In terms of storage this is what my make up bag looks like with all the products in. 




To see how I implemented some of the products in my make up bag for a colorful sweet himekaji gyaru look for summertime, check out the video here: 











MISC THINGS AND TIPS FOR PACKING:

-Can't bring your full sized face wash? Store your face wash in empty contact containers. This can apply for your favorite shampoo and conditioner if you can't opt for travel size.

-Save your travel sized bottles if you have them. Recycle them and place your favorite shampoo and conditioner in them.

-Roll your clothes. Don't fold them. They can potentially save you space.

-Place your shoes in a garment bag in order to not ruin your clothes if you can't use a completely separate bag all together.

-Don't forget to pack sunscreen for your summer stay in order to avoid skin damage and sunburn.

-Other necessities such as razors, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, ect shouldn't be forgotten!

-Invest in a portable external phone charger. They are lifesavers. You'll thank me later.

-Keep all your charging cords in your purse for easy access.

-Store your jewelry in the small pocket of your purse to ensure nothing is stolen/valueables are on you. Plus I personally recommend not wearing your jewelry until you're fully put together and even off your flight/ride when you're freshening up on a bathroom break.

-Invest in a rollerball perfumes! They're compact and great. 

-Keep your phone and wallet/passport within easy access/close to you because these items are incredibly important and need to be within your reach.

-For your carry on, be sure to use a decent sized purse or a bag to fit your purse in. A huge purse is like a Mary Poppins bag. You can fit your life into it!

-Don't be afraid to wear a wig on the plane or even pack one if you don't want to be bothered with bringing irons. They save you time and can make your "hair" look amazing if you find good enough quality wigs.

-Foaming face cleanser with sturdy packaging (the type with a cap onto of the pump) is not only less likely to get all over your bag, but it's less messy than your typical gel based facial cleansers if you're only concerned with washing your face because you're so exhausted for the night. 

-BRING A COMPACT WITH A MIRROR. You will thank me later. 






SUMMER OUTFITS FOR MY TRIP: 

Day One:  Romantic Florals: Here I'm wearing a vintage Liz Lisa maxi-dress from the Spring/Summer collection from 2012! This dress is extremely comfortable and stylish. It's great for traveling because of this! It's long enough to not fly everywhere if it's windy out and still gives that summer feel necessary for a vacation or event. Paired with 'light' airplane friendly make up, himekaji gyaru style is easily accessible to do and still gives a airy light romantic feel to an outfit without being too plain or too over kill. Pair this with comfortable shoes (sandals in my case at my own risk) for your departure and arrival! This is perfect girls who adore being cute and feminine! 




Dress: Liz Lisa 
Shoes: Offbrand




Day Two: Gypsy Glam Rock:
I chose this outfit because, if it can survive an intense Japanese rock concert? It can survive an airplane or a vacation. This is for those of you who don't want to go the "cute" route and have a more intense dark style. Everything minus the shoes were incredibly comfortable. I've explained this outfit in the 'Dogmatic Trois' post I made but I'll explain why I chose this outfit for vacationing as well. I think this is a great outfit for those of you who are traveling for a rock concert and don't have time to fully get glam and ready once you've reached your destination. I know of plenty of people who travel from far away to see a band perform. There are lines to wait in and music to see! Some people just don't have time to put on their whole face or outfit on when they get off the plane unfortunately. They want to get into their hotel and go. 

 For this look, I've combined my love for J-Rock and Gyaru fashion into one for a more 'tsuyome' like feel. The gold gives a more glamorous 'summer' type of feel along with the chained feathers of the skirt. Yet again, maxi-dresses are my best friend because they're extremely comfortable. Drapey clothes for trips are a must have. Because I was going to a concert for this one. This maxi dress has a slit in the side that has buckles so it's not 'too hot' to wear in the heat. I also broght a cardigan to go over my spaghetti strap too just in case it got too cold. The top has gold accessories attached for it making in not necessary for me to need to wear a ton of accessories that had the potential of getting lost!



Top: D.i.a Spec
Skirt: Dig Deep 
Cardigan: BPN 
Shoes: Christian Siriano 
Glasses: Forever21xCats and Bats Collection

Day Three: Beach Clubber: This look is for the girl that's a bit wild and sexy. You're not dark and glam. But you're not romantic and cute either. While I wouldn't suggest this one for the airport but this is a great summer outfit to pack on a trip to the beach. It's light weight and super sexy glamorous. The print on this top is colorful and bright and has glittering denim detailing (yes you heard me right) to go along with the shorts. The platforms give height if you are short and bigger thighs like myself! The belt is added for a very sexy gyaru flare. This is great for the beach, partying, or the club. You'll be sure to make a scene in this number. This outfit is inspired by the gyaru girls in the magazine 'EGG' that discontinued a couple years back!


Top: D.i.a Spec
Shorts: Forever21
Belt: D.i.a Spec
Shoes: Offbrand
Necklace: Offbrand



Day Four: Lazy Animal: This outfit, while I don't have a good outfit pic of it, is an ode to those kids that roam around the last day of an anime convention in 'Kigurumi' because they're so comfortable. This however, is my own stylish twist on it! Here I'm wearing long sleeves with it, but as you see in my haul picture this hoodie is sleeveless. What's great about this is you can dress is with sleeves or none. This is a tunic style hoodie to it's long enough to wear multiple ways. If you want to go sexy you can pair this up with tights and boots. But if you want to be a bit more conservative jeggings and leggings also work very well with this. The hood bit is super unique because it has ears on them but if that's not your cup of tea, there is a zipper on the hood that hides the ears. I think if hood is good for those bad hair days where you can't be bothered to fix yourself up on your flight back home. Pair this with comfortable shoes and leggings/jeggings and you're set for the road! The emphasis is less on a crazy style and more so on some neutral eyes and dark lips so it looks like you places effort in! It's the small details in this one that matter!


Hoodie: Ghost of Harlem










Finally, in collaboration with Home Away-here are a couple awesome articles with full on suggestions for for places to explore and do in various parts of the country via your stay. Click the link HERE for some amazing suggestions to contribute to your summer vacation stay: 

CLICK HERE:  Travel Ideas And Destinations for the Summer Season



What is HomeAway? HomeAway is a traveling website and service that allows potential travelers to to look into and rent a property for the extent of their stay! This means having a kitchen, bathroom, and other amenities to yourself-and beyond what a hotel can offer you since it IS a home! You're not sharing with anyone but yourself or your traveling companions! For the time of your stay, it will be like you are living there. 

This great for  personal outings or even for you convention goers that miss the mark for a hotel reservation since places to stay over those long weekends are usually in high demand and book fast. Think about it-you traveling cosplayers with a TON of stuff get the option of not being cramped in a tiny room with a ton of other cosplayers that have such as much stuff.  Some that are either working on late cosplay or need the space. Better yet-can you imagine as J-fashionistas or cosplayers, having the option of having a space for good outfit pictures, a kitchen to cook in and save money for other things, and better yet-not having four or more people sharing ONE bathroom?! 

 For more information and how to look up properties/homes and dates for your trips, click the link HERE;

https://www.homeaway.com/





Happy traveling guys! I hope this entry helped you travel fashionably for the summer! 

Sunday, June 5, 2016

You Don't Need a Comm to Validate Your Fashion Life Style: Sincerely from, A J-Fashionista That Frequently Rides Solo



This post is exactly what it says in the title. Today, I'm going to writing about a topic that I haven't ever touched on. I haven't even done personal and somewhat semi-controversial/opinionated posts like this in awhile, but talking to a friend at my local anime convention made me realize that this might actually be an interesting piece to write. Mind you, this based on my experiences and I'll talk about the pros and cons of this whole ordeal but hopefully this might help a newbie J-Fashionista or anyone fashionista who might be intimidated feel at peace with themselves. 

I should start with my personal experiences and personality-because that will most likely explain why  decided to wear J-Fashion regardless of an occasion and regardless whether I have friends to dress up with. 

Going back to teenaged me for a second here: I've been into Japanese fashion for a decade or more and actively wearing J-Fashion for a good seven years of my life. And not once, have a felt like I have truly ever "fit in" anywhere. Before anyone decides to dismiss this as me bitching and complaining-hear me out for a minute here because I am certainly not complaining. I'm incredibly blessed to live in Northern California where the Japanese Pop Culture scene is constantly booming with life. There are plenty of things to do and plenty of people to talk to. Not one bit am I bitching there. It's great. I go to things all the time. I talk to a variety of people. But with that comes the whole realization to myself that I have never exactly found a close friend that understood me personally or fit into my niche in terms of personality. 

Let me explain myself here when I say something as bizarre this. Personally, I have always been an strange in-between of a "good girl non-partier"...where people always jokingly (or maybe they're dead serious about it, who knows, who cares) calling me a prude.  However, I'm also the crude friend who can talk loud and curse like a sailor no issue. I'm the girl who feels the need to protect my nicer friends from getting taken advantage of by creeps on the street but I'm also the girl who avoids getting in situations with the creeps on the street too. I know there's a time and place and I'm very aware of it. Because of this, I never exactly found my place because I've never met anyone quite like myself... The person that stick around for the party but bounces before seven pm knowing it's about to get real turnt and that they don't wanna be around for that or the aftermath. Mainly because girls like me get into some shit just by the way we dress. Especially me. Being the girl who dresses in mini-skirts and halters, you'd think I would be the girl to club. It actually shocks people when I say I loathe clubbing because it's sweaty, gross, and the fuckboi's are annoying because they don't take no for an answer. People have even went to the extent to tell me that my way of dressing and personality isn't very gyaru or that gyaru are party girls. And while I can agree, gals can be wild and sexy. I'm wild and sexy in my own way. My idea of fun is late night board games and boba until midnight-two in the morning.. Midnight movie premieres and really random adventures. Which docks out, I'm the girl that turns in before nine o'clock because she's such a good girl because curfew or tired.  

With this, my group of friends has always changed and never has exactly stayed constant.I can roll but I can never hang with either sides. I've delved into both lolita fashion as much as I identify with gyaru, and I've never fit in with either. I wasn't the girl who constantly had an influx of new dresses coming in during releases or even non-releases. This makes themed tea parties and such awkward no? And in terms of gyaru, I feel like the style never exactly hit off in San Francisco the way it does in some parts. Or if there are meet ups you're always wary of it.. 

For awhile before all this, I was a cosplayer. Since I was fifteen going on sixteen years old, I cosplayed before I delved into the world of J-Fashion which was way beyond my high school budget. One-hundred dollars for a costume was easy but a couple hundred for a JSK was insane. From cosplaying for a good five to six years of life, I realized that many people came and went. That was the thing about cosplay. Cosplay almost requires a sense of community. A strength in numbers even. It's almost no fun to cosplay alone or if so, there seems to now a days to be a huge race to keep up if with the gane if you are a lone one. Cosplay almost requires you to be social. I had many friends back then and many people whom I did projects with. I was super active on the convention and event level in terms of cosplay, but when I left things calmed down because I had a little less in common or my priorities financially had changed. 

And it's why I took such a joy when I was twenty-three years old, of leaving the cosplay scene to completely focus my time, energy, and money on J-Fashion. I had been doing both before but eventually, I realized my real passion had always been gyaru and lolita fashion. It was something that didn't always require a group outing. It was something that I could enjoy on my own without the validation or security of someone else. I could blog because I enjoyed writing about my passions. I could do outfit of the days because make-up and outfit coordination was therapeutic and made me feel put together. Japanese fashion somewhat became a part of my every day life without me requiring the need for a sense of community that most desire. While my clothes were flashy and not of the societal norm, they were honestly just my clothes/I wore them like clothes. I had friends outside of the fashion scene that I could relate to and spend time with without them needing to be gyaru or lolita to get along.

Don't get me wrong when I say this. Sometimes I direly wish I had a friend that adored agejo as much as I did or was only an occasional lolita versus a hugely active one who knows everyone at events. It's at times like that among others that I feel quite square. But that's okay. I dress for myself. Not for the acceptance of others. I don't need to walk with a group of friends to feel safe. I just realize that there's a time and place for everything and that I can enjoy J-Fashion in my spare time. 

It always has confused me while others let what other people say about their style or fashion affect them. With any type of style comes growth and development. Your make up won't be the same as it was a year ago. I can assure you this. You'll go through many styles or hell, maybe you'll be like me and decide to wear it all because you just happen to have a liking for detailed clothes. Who says you have to be a part of the gyaru or lolita community to be a part of that? 

I remember watching a documentary on lolita fashion and the narrator explaining how lolita fashion gave "a sense of community". This can be very true and very touching. I'm very touched seeing groups of gyaru or lolita meeting up and genuinely liking each other/being close friends. But there's always the darker side to people widely knowing you. Perhaps it's me being jaded saying this. But I've for awhile been a bit wary. Just because we have a fashion in common doesn't mean we will get along. I actually get really happy if I can find someone I can have a conversation with and it not be about a release or clothes. It's definitely a conversation start and common ground but it's always in my mind-what's is this person like beyond that? If you want to be part of a community fine. But to those of you who feel like you can't be these things without being a part of something-you should get into fashion anyway. You shouldn't let just seeing the J-Fashion communities on the internet and media stop you because you feel like you will be alone. There will be many times you feel alone or out of place. But you will also feel unique. While there will be the possibly not-so-occasional asshole jeering your way, there will also be the people who ask where you bought your shoes because "they're gorgeous" or another person saying the found something online or in a shop and it it reminded them of you because it "so something you'd wear". In that sense, people can pick you out from a crowd and that's a special feeling. 

I've been openly identifying some of my outfits as "gyaru" since 2012... Do I always do gyaru? Am I a lifestyle gyaru?? No. And I don't intend to be because I feel like that takes away the thrill of it. The fashion would become a obligation or a task rather than something I get to look forward to or inspired for when I randomly do it. Same goes for lolita. I rarely ever slide on my JSKs but I would never ever bring myself to sell them because there's always that occasion where I want to feel like a princess for once and lolita seems appropriate for the day. If even if it means sitting down with my "shitty Starbucks" drink I ran out to get in ruffles and sitting in my room all day blogging or watching something inspiring. 

Whatever makes you happy is what you should do. You don't have to always be dressed head to toe to feel validated. Just because you have a couple casual days or even many casual days doesn't make you less of a fashionista. It means that you know there's a time and place. Perhaps it's for safety reasons. Maybe it's also because you want your clothes and style to feel special when you do decide to wear it on the days you do. 

And that's why I made this post. Because this isn't talked about enough. Perhaps because it seems a bit ironic for an active blogger to be writing about it and not even be a part of the online community fully. Some of us contribute things but never quite interact with others, and that's okay. You don't have to be social to be fashionable. That's what occurred to me when I talked to a friend late at night post-convention hype in their hotel room. Yes, I model occasionally and do photo shoots. I have an active online life which included my blog or instagram. But my clothes are my clothes and wear them like so-they fit a certain style and even the style has a name, but it doesn't mean that I have to thrive in it amongst a group of similarly dressed people.

Does this make me a hypocrite if I decide to get more socialable and active later on? No. It just means I found the right people for me. But until then, that won't affect what I slap on my face or what I wear. 

So to those of you who want to dress up; don't be afraid. You do you. You're going to be fine even if you choose to do so alone. <3 

Fanime 2016

A last weekend, I made a SUPER sudden last minute trip to Fanime for a Saturday. I seriously thought I was about to be breaking tradition and all-but a friend and I decided to attend for the sake of old times. Personally for me? Because it feels too weird to not be a part of something that I've participated in since I was sixteen years old. While I have retired from the cosplay scene and don't actively shoot at all anymore, it's nice to still say hello to friends and be around the convention atmosphere. For the most part I cafe hop and selfie with people.

This trip was no different. SO QUE TO 3 AM... Katie and I decided because there was a Color Run blocking off streets, parking was going to be insane (no really I had the beautiful experience of it last year with a far away hotel) and the fact that Katie still had to endure LineCon 2016 to pick up a badge-that leaving at 6 am was ideal. No traffic. No fighting for parking. Possibly getting a badge and it not wasting the only day we had. It sounded like a plan. 

However for me it meant that sleep was for the weak. I take a good three hours to get ready if doing my own hair is added into the equation. I hate feeling rushed and I really wanted to go all out for the one day I was going to be there. SO because of that, I decided that a 3 am start time was necessary. 

For my look on Saturday I went for a Tsuyome/Agejo gyaru fusion. I don't know what you could call it exactly. It had the ruffle and femininity of agejo but had the sexy dark glam of tsuyome. It was really something that I have never seen done before. I like blurring lines. ;D 

Plus this also gave me an excuse to wear my NYX Lip Lingerie liqiuid lipsticks and feel like a trendy bitch. Make up wise I went for a red base with a cool toned brown crease shadow. Black eyeliner was applied with red edges (thank you NYX Vivid Brights) and Diamond Lash eyelashes in Glamorous Lash. I kept the lashes to only one set because I wanted to the red bits of my eye make up to be slightly apparent. For face make up, I'm realizing as my skin improves in texture, the less I'm feeling the whole Kat Von D foundation train that I've been rolling on for years now. Foundation  application DROVE ME NUTS. Time to bust bank and make NARS Sheer Glow my everyday foundation, because when it comes to make up, I'm a pretentious bitch. <3

I tried to dilute the toothpaste-like texture of the KVD with some Mac Fix+ which helped a little. I set my face with HD powder because that shit was tacky. I highlighted and contoured to the high heavens-used a rose blush. and used the NYX Lingerie in 'Honeymoon' to finish off the look. 

In terms of my outfit-I wore my favorite spaghetti strap from d.i.a (I seriously need to buy more d.i.a tops because I AM IN LOVE. Excuse me while I buy a million tops and skirt sets) that I also wore to the Gazette (that was also my peeve is I at first didn't want to wear it because I had just worn it to the Gazette concert when people last saw me lmao) and then paired it with my WC skirt, Yumetenbo thigh high boots (thank you for murdering my feet you pieces of shit) and to accessorize I wore my d.i.a star belt because let's been honest-it's the WHOLE reason other than my lipstick as to why I wanted to even wear a dark outfit again. 

So out the door I went to meet Katie at the car at 6 am and off went went to trek to San Jose. The trip there was absolutely painless. We found parking no issue, all day parking was 7.00.... We then proceeded to Bank of America down the street where my ass got hit on. I was seriously like "I know it's early but please cosplayers come out and play so I look like less of a hoe!" ahaha because I always pray when guys talk to me that they say whatever and I can go on without them continuing to talk. :'D 

After grabbing cash at the bank, Katie and I went on over to the Marriot where LineCon was taking place. It was only 7 am and the line looked pretty god awful. WTF Fanime? I thought they had this fixed... So I let Katie get her badge and walked my happy ass down to the lobby to relax and wind down. There I pretty much surprised my entire facebook feed letting them know that I was here for a day and if they wanted to hang out that I was totally capable of doing so. 

Wendell (who works at Stage Zero) had been sending me tons of video on Friday knowing that I was missing out on the con and knowing I wouldn't get to say hello like I usually did. I decided to derpily send a video back of me waving in the familiar area of the Marriot lobby-in which he told me to haul my ass up to the con once I was situated. Which I did and lugged Katie with me! 

Once I met up with Wendell we proceeded to basically chill near Stage Zero and catch up. Lots of our talk was on Da-Ice that was performing that evening and on other J-Pop stuff. I'm super thankful that I was able to spend time with him and even more so thankful that my friends got to become friends with each other and bond over a mutual hobby. I can't tell both Katie and Wendell how appreciative I am to them both for always letting me tag along and also how happy I am seeing friends spazz out over things like music or the technicalities of a convention. It was definitely the highlight of my weekend/day at Fanime.

Once Wendell get busy, Katie and I roamed the convention hall in order to figure out just where the autograph session was for Da-Ice. From what I remembered most signings were in the Hilton area but I hadn't attended a signing session since Yuya Matsushita in 2011. Go figure, the autograph room was in the COMPLETELY OPPOSITE end of the convention near the karaoke and screening rooms. 

Once we figured out where they were, Katie and I decided to get lunch/breakfast, At first I thought we were going to opt for Starbucks but after seeing that ThirstTea was open earlier than usual and that there was no line-we decided to get a boba fix instead. We got shaved ice for breakfast which yes, I know is totally nutritious, but there was fruit ontop so shhhhhh!! Another highlight of my convention was running into Rene! We have been lurking on each other a lot on instagram which in turn lead to facebook, but we had yet to ever meet in person. So here was Rene all cute and shit finding me and her first impression of me just *had* to be of me shoveling shaved ice in my mouth/my mouth being full. lmaooooo 

I told her hold up lemme throw my lipstick on  again and took an awesome selfie with her before she and her friends dashed off to LineCon 2016 themselves I think. 

Katie and I after shaved ice ended up going to the dealer's hall to get to signing stuff and then I separated from Katie so she could get her stuff signed. In turn I wandered around a bit and even sat and watched some cosplay gatherings go on. Eventually I ended up wandering back into the dealer's hall and I shit you not, a minute later, I run into Mai!!! 

Surprise? She seriously didn't know I was here and I found it super hilarious how I still recognized her even when she was all ikemen'd up. We ended up trolling the dealer's hall together which eventually led to her and Katie meeting once we were reunited. 

We separated off from Mai who wanted an autograph and ended up derping around. Pretty sure we ran into friends while charging phones because my portable charger is a piece of shit. >_> 

Once again hungry real food, I took Katie to my favorite cafe in the downtown area, Amore Cafe! We had to wait 30 minutes for them to open but I'm pretty we braved a wait because once we ordered our food the line was relentless. Two years into this place being a thing, con goers are catching on to this place being here. 

I got a white peach milk tea which was super oversized (that was a mistake that I didn't think it would be <_<) and popcorn chicken that comes with this super amazing sauce that I will never ever get over. Katie got some garlic fries of some sort and I think a thai tea..? We hung out there for quite a bit. I'm almost kind of sad that it was congested because in previous years it's never been that way before. I blame the self serve boba area. Last year that area was a comfy couch. 

After the cafe I hobbled my ass back to the convention center and in turn, Katie had a concert to go to. There I ran into more friends and ended up trolling the gaming hall where I played my first rounds of slapjack ever. Afterwards I ended up walking with said friends to some food places just to spend time.. Ran into the now engaged couple Johnny and Jessica (ahhh congrats guys. I still am super sad that I missed it. I probably would have yelped in excitement because I've never seen a proposal in person and it's even more exciting it was between my friends. I'm so happy for you both!) and we caught up for a bit. 

Katie ended up being finished with the concert and I penguin walked back to her where we got some drinks and trolled the Fairmont Hotel lobby to charge phones and just wind down a bit because I kind of was at a loss for what to do since everyone was pretty busy partying and doing their own thing. I think we both were trying so hard not to fall asleep on the floor from lack of sleep. =_= We were seriously feeling it...

Eventually we decided to call it a night and went to Wendell's room to say bye and talk for a bit, which was super pleasant. 

And basically afterward we crawled back to the car in our half dead states and headed home.

That's my one day Fanime adventure. Not very eventful but very enjoyable regardless. I'm super happy that I got to spend time with people and catch up and be in a place of familiarity that I always enjoy going to. I feel like I have less and less reason to be in the San Jose area anymore but occasionally it's nice to enjoy the nice food and weather there with friends. 

Yet again, I'm super appreciative to all the friends who made that day happen and be fun. I surprisingly enjoyed this Fanime probably more than I have my past couple of years going all four days~ <3