Holiday Chill + Room Things

 Hello guys! I'm just going to pop in here to talk about my holidays! School ended for me on the 18th and funnily enough, I stayed dead on my floor tired for like...two days and decided after to super clean my room. 

I moved some stuff around in order to give me more space. Specifically, my make up drawer and desk to make it workspace finally. I also mounted one of my mirrors so I could take proper gyaru-esque mirror photo shots since it's really hard for me to get coordinate shots of my outfits. 

I don't think anyone realizes, I am usually behind and in front of my camera for a lot of my stuff. Yes, I have a tripod but anyone who's tried getting outfit shots on a timer and in focus can attest to how effing difficult that shit is! Plus angles, I'm all about the angles as I've gotten older and more gremlin looking (though a lot of ya'll are in protest about that! LOL). So mounting one of my mirrors was really useful. 

I ended up getting cheap ass 5 dollar color-changing light bulbs and never looked back. They're definitely not bright enough and I probably should have just invested in a hue light but I wasn't willing to bust 45 bucks on one when I'm going to be moving overseas (hopefully) in a year and a half. 

In all, I think my room looks really neat and very gyaru in its own odd way. I was always that kid growing up that had the little fiber optic turning lights, backlights, lava lamps, glow in the dark stars-you name it. I think the only dream item I always wanted in a room but never had was a disco-ball but before I moved across the country as a kid, I had genuinely acquired a chandelier even for my room. LOL 

The leds, lasers, bulbs, etc are just a one-up of every single room I've ever had. I think a lot of people due to COVID are really placing effort into their space. We're spending a lot of time inside, so interior design is key. I've been isolated even beforehand so honestly, this project was long overdue and was something I should have done a long time ago. 

I also bought a projector a bit back and by far, it's one of my favorite purchases of the year other than my Chi Spin-n-Curl iron (which is witchcraft but I super recommend it). I've been watching a lot of concerts and music videos on it. It was mainly something I wanted to invest in because before lockdown my friends and I were huddled around my 13-inch Macbook Pro trying to watch J-Dramas. I have limited time with my friends before I move post-graduation next year (if COVID calms the fuck down) but I thought that maybe before I left we could squeeze in some movie nights. Plus, I can bring a projector with me versus a TV. lmao. 

A lot of people also ask about my mini-kitchen. Before COVID happened, I was in the university dorms living on my own. I had bought my own kitchen things (which ended up being a good thing because I was bullied the first semester) and obviously when I moved back into my family's place we needed a place to put them. Yes, I cook in here and have food in my fridge. My family all buy and pay for their own separate groceries and things. We basically are roommates. 

In all, my room was super inspired by the JDM car culture. Specifically, sound vans that blast music and have a shitton of neons. There are also other cars that have a lot of different neons in them that aren't sound vans but it was definitely the vibe I was going for. I wanted an almost club-esque room even though I'm not a party girl. LOL 

I will eventually have my room tour video up. I just wanted to post my haul that I got first. I know a lot of people wanted both and I'm kind of gradually editing and uploading both videos. I promise that I'll have my room tour video up before the New Year! 

In regards to Christmas, usually, my family and I do not do much. Like...ever since everyone is grown here we just don't do anything. It's kind of just another day. But I guess people are clinging to holiday cheer considering how dark the world is right now, so we actually did Christmas this year. 

It was super simple. We got a mini-rainbow tree that I forgot to take pictures of (sorry Lizzie!! >_<), made hella different sweets (deadass we had more sweets than we did food...Jesus Christ), and exchanged gifts. I mainly got people shit they could consume. Starbucks Hot Chocolate and Candy-Cane flavored Poprocks. Bath bombs, blankets, etc. Useful shit. I hate giving useless gifts so it's kind of a thing for me to try to give useful things to people. 

I ended up getting a pair of blinged-out Juicy Couture slides (my mom is determined I wear too many heels and need to simplify my look..which I mean..isn't going to happen fully but hey, if you find eccentric casual shit I won't say no). I also got a leopard print tracksuit (once again, people trying to find eccentric casual wear for me because they think I'm too extra in my Golds Infinity and shit) and my baby brother got me a Doordash gift card because he's always managing to feed my ass during special occasions. The default is always Thai food. I love pad thai and I should really just learn how to make it but I never do. lmao. 

I used to buy Japanese food before I learned how to make everything. I've literally turned into the adult that is like, "Oh? You want that? We can make that at the house." But no really, I can. I do Korean BBQs, Japanese food, Chinese food (and dim sum buns even!) all the time. 

Doordash is literally for pad thai (I love the flavor profile and tofu) or boba. I can make boba but I don't have Royal Rose milk tea or lychee jellies. Anytime I try to make boba, it's watery AF and I'm wondering wtf I need to do to make it really saturated. I'm thinking in my next grocery run about getting proper matcha powder so I can make matcha milktea. Lately, I've been making really delicious Okinawa milk tea and hojicha (I fucking love hojicha. Fite me) but my boba I boil is bland AF. 

I dressed up on Christmas Eve in my rendition of Oneegyaru. I really wanted to do an AneAgeha style version of Onee versus a more sleek version. Ya girl can't leave the dolly-eyes alone. I just can't. It's so gyaru. I kind of jokingly said on my Instagram stories that it was "Ginza girl but make it gyaru" in the sense that a lot of the retired gyaru models (Popteen, Egg, Ageha, etc) are all Omottesando/Ginza aunties who dress in head to toe Western brands and are modest now. So this was my take on that but with gyaru elements. My hair was inspired by Namie Amuro who occasionally rocks her bangs pulled back. I did a smoky eye with Colourpop's Baroque palette that ended up a little heavier than I anticipated but I'm not mad at it. Blending everything was a pain though I won't lie. My lip and cheek at from the Baozi and Hana's make up line FlowerKnows that has super popped off in Japan right now. A lot of Japanese influencers are delving into Chinese makeup brands lately and it's really interesting. I really love my cheek and lip color. I think they bring warmth to such a cool-toned look. Usually, I wear cooler tones but this was nice. My lip feels neutral toned. This is an odd combination between a gloss and a lipstick...I don't hate it though and it gradiented extremely well. 

My skirt is from Shein and my sweater is surprisingly (and I think what makes this the most gal in regards to giving it some AneAgeha flair) is Ma*rs. You can't see in the photo but it's the sweater with the back cut out and the bling buckles. It really made it the look mature, sexy, AND glamorous all at the same time I feel. For accessories, I'm wearing the Vivienne Westwood latered pearl drop orb necklace in gold that Tsuki/Carla immediately recognized even though my hair was covering it. LOL

I did try to record a makeup tutorial but I was out of fucking frame the entire time. I was filming in a different area and was trying to not make a mess after cleaning up and paid the price for it. I have a foldable table that I keep a lot of stuff on and I dislike being tired after filming and primping up and having to clean. I really should just get another foldable table so I can film things without the dread. Filming always leaves my room extremely hot and messy afterward. smh. I miss filming videos in my dorm's living room. It was super convenient and spacious. 

I did film two videos though in the span of a day. The first is this haul video: 

 

 A lot of people were messaging me anticipating this one after I had shared some of my finds on my Instagram stories. I don't wanna brag but I am going to and say I am the queen of finding a deal. Full price? Who is she? LOL. Forreal though, the trick is patience and really keeping track of the market and even looking in places that you wouldn't normally think of. I can't believe how neat my haul was. I totally treated myself for getting through a very hellish fall semester of schooling online. I felt like I deserved it. All I've wanted to do all year is buy clothes from Japan but was holding off because shipping was disgusting thanks to the virus. I kind of allowed myself the privilege because my dream item popped up and I really wanted it...lol 

First off, I'm so obsessed with that Cocolulu beach bag. -sobs- It's that vintage look from the late 90s/00s that I vaguely remember. PVC everything, bamboo handles, bright fun colors. It has all of the requirements. I thought it was going to be a lot smaller than what it was but that's a good thing because I am Mary Poppins with the amount of nonsense I bring with me to places. I can't believe I found such a cool item for 2 bucks. It was originally a 50 dollar beach bag!

I'm also so happy I got my dream item. I've wanted the split buckle Golds Infinity camisole for awhile. I watched that old Egg ParaPara video forever ago back in highschool and loved how pretty all of the models looked. My first impression of Aina Tanaka. lmao. The point is, it was probably my first glimpse at Agejo outside of raiding Kinokuniya on weekends in Japan Town and crying over how flawless everyone looked in Koakuma Ageha. 

I've tried getting this camisole 3-4 different times for it to be bought out from under me by a faster buyer. It's a really popular piece for obvious reasons. It's a pretty iconic piece and to be fair, whoever is telling ya'll brands aren't "rare" and in abundance is straight up lying to you. lmao. GOOD Golds Infinity is such a pain to find compared to a couple of years ago and a lot of the older brands outside of the mainstream ones is also very hard to find. So even finding this camisole was like scoring the jackpot. Shit is hard to find. Especially if you're into styles that aren't as mainstream and weren't to start with. Agejo has been popular but I always felt like it was such a short era of existence. Like 4-5 years versus Amekaji, himekaji, and the harder styles. 

I'm going to try to re-create the look done for the Egg ParaPara video hopefully soon. I just need to touch up my hair's bleach job and relayer it. 

I still can't believe I made my first Alba Rosa haul too. I'm really nervous about getting shit for it considering I'm doing my own thing with it but I really do like that aesthetic. I can't tan worth a shit and just turn orange but I think bright make-up and glowy skin might make up for my lack of skin pigmentation. The dresses I found, I have seen more in skirts/capris/pants rather than onepieces. One of the dresses I've seen listed before but the others no. Like I kept trying to find a stock photo, someone wearing those dresses, Egg scans-anything and still couldn't find anyone wearing those dresses. SO...I'd like to think I got some unique pieces. They're all def bodycon on me but oh well. That's what it is. 13 dollars for three vintage dresses isn't bad at all. I know people who pay 15 for one or 26-60 bucks for Alba Rose which is a big overkill. I can't even justify a vintage jacket. There's other brands I want to get in the future but COVID restrictions have got to end first. 

Shipping was disgusting. If it weren't for the fact that my actual order was under 40 bucks I would have been like:    ajbashjbqjwbsjhqwbwqjb NOOO. My shipping was twice what my fucking order was because DHL shipping is the default in America right now. ugh. I have a feeling that will change soon because it was announced yesterday that Japan is further closing up its borders for a month (I have a feeling it will be MUCH longer than a month) to ALL countries so it will be harder to really do anything for awhile. I'm really glad I decided to ship out my order last week and with the fastest method. I feel like trying to do anything for a second is going to be a bit chaotic until we get this virus under control a little bit. I keep trying ot be optimistic and press that by springtime we'll have a little smidgen of normalcy. I don't think anything will ever *fully* go back to normal the way it was but I do feel like we'll ger some semblance of normalcy in the future hopefully once the vaccine is out to the public and there is medicine/treatment for this type of thing. 

Anyway, I got a really cool Christmas surprise. Thankfully I decided to get "made" up on Christmas. I wore my new tracksuit and kind of gave myself a messy up-do. I got a lot of compliments on the look surprisingly. I really liked my hair is why I took pictures. I didn't wear any make up at all because I was pretty fatigued honestly. I hadn't fully rested after finals and it's definitely been catching up to me now that Christmas is over. 

Some of ya'll said I look even younger without make up. ahahah I felt like with the tracksuit I look like Kumiko from Gokusen. LMAO. 

My friend Janelle suddenly messaged me after my shower and was like, "I'M COMING OVER TO YOUR PLACE IN 30 MINS"...in which I yodeled into the void at such a sudden visit. We have been pretty isolated and certainly don't have a chance of catching the virus (we haven't gone anywhere or been around others in that way?) so visiting was fine.

I knew Janelle was eventually going to poke at me so I was glad her small Christmas gift was in stock. ;_; <3 

We mainly just talked and caught up in my room that she finally got to see in-person. ahaha. she knocked on my purchase of my cheap LED bulbs (I mean fair, it is pretty dark in this bitch now) and we watched a little bit of the Egg Para Para video on my projector before she left.

We took selfies and she was out to go home. Her outfit was so cute and she gave herself a full-head of bleach!!! You can't see it in the pic but she had on this burgundy sweater dress and belt combo that reminded me of the new-era d.i.a before d.i.a go a little bit dull. It was so pretty on here. 

Her visit was such a nice surprise. -sobs- I haven't really gotten to socialize much so seeing anyone is so refreshing. 

I also talked to my majesty and make-up guru Rene during the holidays. They had bought a couple of items including some fake Westwood with me. We're both living out our Ai Yazawa dreams lately. It eventually made me buy MORE fake Westwood while looking with them for more pieces. I found things that I hadn't run into before.

I've lately have been buying a lot of accessories. I feel like I lack a lot of jewelry. I found some Liz Lisa/Ma*rs larmeish blinged out cuffs previously and bought the infamous Westwood pearl choker that had recently been made popular by the youngins on TikTok lmao. 

I also found a couple of orb rings, I bought a pink choker, decided I needed to buy a chandelier set of old orb earrings, a flatback star Orb necklace in green and orange, and the orb necklace in gold. I really wanted to buy some gold this time to go with my old school looks and even the harder stuff like d.i.a I prefer silver but I feel like gold works best for things like that. I also found some fake Chrome Hearts cross necklaces and bought both in gold and silver because all the bandbois and hosts wear them a lot. LMAO. It's an awful reason to want them but they're really pretty actually. 

I've noticed that a lot of the gaijin gyaru comm are also wearing a lot of Westwood (real and knockoff) lately. It's really trendy again. I even wore the layered pearl necklace with the orb dangle for my Christmas Eve look. I've always been this type of thing. I've wanted Westwood since high school. lmao. It's still out of my price range but one day, I really want to own the real thing. 

I super recommend wearing Westwood accessories right now. They're a huge trend going on right now. :) 

Anyway, that's all from me. I hope you guys had a fun holiday. Until next time!