I went to one of the UK's first ever Larme-kei fashion meets in London, UK
Larme-kei means "tears" in French, Larme or Larme-kei is look that is sweet, sophisticated and little bit girly. It is a softer more refined side of Mote-kei or mainstream fashion. You can check out the 'Don't Cry Baby Larme-kei Worldwide' group on Facebook here
I really like this fashion and feel like it can be worn very casually (more of a day to day look)
My style has been becoming a little more 'grown up' so this fashion is perfect for that too
One of my favourite Larme-kei brands is Swankiss which I discovered on my trip to Tokyo last year
~ This was my outfit for the day ~
Skirt & Backpack : Swankiss Jewellery : Roxie Sweetheart Shoes : ASOS Top : Iron Fist (Care bears range)
The other cute Larme-kei girls who were at the meet :)
Here is a little video I put together from the day
I will definitely be going to more Larme-kei meets soon
I recently purchased the latest chocolate bar eye~shadow palette from Too Faced Cosmetics
The palette is called Chocolate Bon Bons and it has heart-shaped eyeshadows ~ all infused with cocoa powder. The shadows smell amazing and the packaging is so girly and cute ~ even the shadows themselves have adorable dessert~themed names like 'Sprinkles' and 'Cotton Candy'
Too Faced Cosmetics are based in the USA and all their products are cruelty free!
Here are some swatches I took of all the colours ~ my skin is medium/pale with yellow undertones
A good range of medium, light, shimmery and bright colours
Packaging is like a Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) bar!
The shadows were excellent quality, they blended really easily together
I used 5 shadows for this look ~ I can't wait to try the others!
The attention to detail and quality of the packaging made this item good value for money
I bought mine in the UK from Debenhams for £39 (toofaced.com also ship to the UK now, but be wary of customs charges!)
The only negative I can think of is that they do not have a cruelty free symbol or any information regarding this printed on their packaging
Check out my video with a make up tutorial using the palette
I hope you enjoy my review!
Don't forget you can also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos
❤ Shinjuku is a great place to stay (definitely for a first visit) as it's central to many places travelling on the JR railway including Harajuku and Shibuya. Shinjuku station itself is huge and pretty confusing, it may take some getting used to! Also, remember there are two Shinjuku stations... you can read more about it here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3011.html
❤ It's a really good idea to print maps before you visit, sometimes things are signposted, sometimes not...
❤ I opted to use a top up card (Suica) which can be used on the JR and subway lines
More info here: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html
The Suica card is easy to use (similar to an Oyster) the machines can be changed to English
I also recommend picking up something we are severely lacking in the UK ~ one of the pass cases with an extending cord. I got one from Donki :)
You can go for a JR Pass which is good value if you are planning to travel outside Tokyo more than one in your visit
If you want to book this you need to do it before you go
https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/
❤ I booked everything as a deal with hotel and flights with Expedia ~ this is a more expensive option if you want to stay in a proper hotel. You can book your accommodation separately for a lot cheaper if you're happy to stay somewhere rented or a b&b type place ~ for as little as £20 a night! I haven't done this yet but it's definitely worth looking into
❤ Flights with transfers ~ we had a flight which changed at Amsterdam from London. Please be wary about these in regards to luggage. I recommend a direct flight if possible... also when you go onto the plane from the second airport you have to go through security again, so don't buy any drinks (bit annoying)
Either way I would 100% recommend some sort of travel insurance that provides compensation for any delayed or lost luggage
❤ Book as much as you can before your trip (a lot of things you have to anyway)
~ Ghibli Muesum
~ Wifi devices or data sim cards
~ JR Pass
❤ INTERNET / USING YOUR PHONE ❤
❤ You can buy data only sim cards in advance (before your trip) which we had delivered to the hotel ~ these mean no phone calls but I used LINE to call or message people whilst there.
❤ LINE is a great app to use if you have friends in Japan and many people there use it
Another possible app is Whatsapp. Both can be used to make calls via the internet as well as long as the other person has it too
❤ You can get free Wifi via any Starbucks but you need to sign up to it (you need data to do this first)
❤ FOOD ❤
❤ I did not find food expensive (eating out) but if you are on a budget 7-Eleven stores are your best friend. A few times I went there for yummy snacks ~ cakes, sandwiches, salads, sushi...
You can also get noodles (just add hot water)
Also good for water and general other awesome Japanese drinks
❤ I have heard it is not polite to tip in restaurants, so avoid it!
❤ There are a huge number of amazing themed cafes in Tokyo ~ make sure you look into this before you go as some of them are temporary
I highly recommend the Pom Pom Purin cafe in Harajuku and the Owl Cafe in Koenji (the best curries!), Swimmer Bakery in Studio Alta Shinjuku
I also recommend an amazing Sushi place in Shibuya with an electronic ordering system called Genki Sushi
A video posted by Roxie Sweetheart (@roxiesweetheart) on
Owl cafe, Koenji
Swimmer Bakery
(go for the chocolate cream filled treats, not sure what they are called!)
Pom Pom Purin Cafe, Harajuku
❤ LANGUAGE ❤
There are a few phrases a words I learnt before going to Tokyo. Not everyone speaks English and some only broken. You'll find that the Japanese are very proud of their language and they really appreciate if you give it a try ^^
❤ Main phrases:
Sumimasen (soo-me-mah-sen) γγΏγΎγγ
This means sorry and excuse me and even thank you (if someone holds a door open for you)
Arigato (ari-gat-tow) γγγγ¨γ
This means thank you
Or thank you 'very' much Arigato Gosaimasu
Toire γγ€γ¬ ~ Toilet
Wakarimasen γγγγΎγγ (wakari-mah-sen)
I don’t understand
Eigo θ±θͺ ~ English
Nihon ζ₯ζ¬ (nee-hon) ~ Japan
Konnichiwa γγγ«γ‘γ―(konni-chi-wah)
Good Afternoon or good day after 11am
❤ SHOPPING❤
❤ A lot of places offer a 10% tax refund for visitors when shopping providing you have your passport. Depending on how much you're spending this is not always worth it...
They do take a long time to do this, including filling in forms, stamping in your passport and wrapping everything a few times (this is to show customs you have not opened the package)
Personally I don't really like the idea of having the stamps in my passport so I just avoid it altogether ~ it means you may have to show what you have bought, and I think over a certain value you then have to repay some tax back
❤ When paying in a store there is often a small tray on the counter ~ it's polite to put the cash into the tray instead of handing it to the shop assistant
❤ To work out a rough cost from JPY to GBP you can use this trick: