Ormonde Jayne sample program

*rubs hands together* I'm thinking of ordering a set of perfume samples for my friend. Unfortunately, I don't think she's terribly interested in perfumes; she sticks to her adored perfume Yves Sant Laurent In Love Again. I think she'd probably enjoy cosmetic sets more.

minimalism step 1: organization

I'm getting stressed over Japanese studying (6 days till my test) and for some reason reading about makeup and fashion is giving me a slightly negative outlook, so I started looking for some positive things to do. ehow.com has a nice series of articles. I started with "How to get organized."

I'm going to have trouble with this though:

Tape cassettes, laser disc players, old computers and cell phones are just taking up space.

I can't throw away my tape cassettes! I should turn them into mp3s.

non-essential spending

I'm trying to settle upon a reasonable monthly budget for frivolous things. I don't know what's reasonable though. It probably doesn't matter. I think I'll be spending what I feel like.

online shopping: free shipping to japan

Well, I don't know if I'll try it out, but I was shocked that figleaves.com actually offers free shipping internationally. I had no idea that existed! I'd love to take advantage of it, but if I want to return something, I would have to pay for shipping. Still, Japanese postal fees are quite reasonable.

who is carrie bradshaw?

I've been running across references on various blogs and wondering who this person was. And then thinking, "Yay, I'm not brainwashed by U.S. pop culture! There are celebrities that I don't know."

And then it occurred to me that she's probably the character on Sex and The City. Darnit, I do know who she is. It's my roomie's fault. Oh well. I guess I am brainwashed.

Hey, at least I know she's fictional! A guy in my Japanese class thought that Bridget Jones's Diary was an autobiography. bwahaha.

the coolest url ever

Is http://www.pdawwg.com. I'm not sure why it appeals to me so much, but it probably has something to do with having the attitude to call yourself something like that and not look like a total poser. I'd go into this further but I would probably embarrass myself. Haha.

Add the "Peppermint Patty" title and it's perfection. Even though I totally identified with Marcy.

music

Some musicians that I like:
OLIVIA (japanese)
Tina (japanese)
東京事変 (japanese)
UA (english and japanese)
伊藤油奈 (english and japanese)
Jamelia (english)

Johnnys Jr.

My punctuation could be unofficial, but Johnnys Jr. is a part of modern-day Japanese pop culture. The largest talent agency for boy bands, they churn the groups out like you wouldn't believe. They must also be infamous for their relentless pursuit of the most shockingly ugly costumes being created today. I was looking for photographic evidence but could only find this one on short notice. They all dress like this. All of them.

In the meantime, I will list the most visible examples of this ongoing crime against good taste:

Kinki Kids: you might think that the name of this duo is itself a crime, but there is actually a region in Japan called 近畿（きんき）, of which Kinki is a perfectly valid romanization. No, their crime lies in their clothing, their hair, and their dancing (in that order). To get an idea of the hair, you can look here. Imagine the black hair with medium curls and one side of the hair shaved. He looks like a grandmother now.

SMAP: I really don't understand why this group of 5 guys continues to sing, but whatever. I don't listen to them. What really disturbs me is the fact that 5 guys in their mid to late 20s actually chooses to wear the atrocious costumes (for musical performances) that they do. Since SMAP is pretty much the most popular entertainment group in Japan (and has been for many years now), it is inconceivable that they cannot pick their own clothing, so I can only conclude that they cannot tell that it's ugly.

W-inds: The "W" in the name of this trio may be lowercase, but I don't care enough to check. As usual, their clothing and their dancing are unacceptable.

Tackey and Tsubasa: Another unfortunate name. Same issues. I've never heard them sing, but the photos speak for themselves. (Search for "human mirrorballs")

Kansai Johnny 8: As usual, bad clothing, bad dancing, and mediocre singing.

I'm sure there are many more offenders, but I can't keep track of them all.

Clearly it's all Johnny's fault.

ps. I have nothing against the above groups or their fans. As entertainers, they're pretty good. I just find the clothing unspeakable.

superficiality vs. label whore

I'm contemplating the paradox of being superficial but not caring about product brands, versus being a mindless drone when it comes to product brands but not caring about outward appearance.

One does not necessitate nor imply the other. Fascinating.

By the way, I need a more delicate synonym for "label whore."

Indian Gardenia, Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune, Snowcake

I stopped by The Body Shop on my way home last night and spritzed on a bit of Indian Gardenia. It's quite a pretty perfume. It lasted at least a couple hours. I don't think I'll buy it though. It's nice but not addicting. I'm waiting for something addicting.

Today I tried on my sample of Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune. After four hours, it smells vaguely...chemical. Actually, I can't think of what it reminds me of. It's not quite chemical; if I smell it properly there's a nice mixture of scents, but the overall effect is not quite pleasing.

Fun anyway. I'll be trying a different sample tomorrow.

I've been using LUSH's Snowcake soap for a couple days now. I love the scent of almonds. Bathing is almost luxurious now. It's nice for the drier winter weather too.

a bit on minimalism

It sounds great!

Anna Sui's Secret Wish; evangelism

It's my second day of testing Secret Wish eau de toilette, and after a couple hours, it smells nice but unexciting. Very interesting. I wonder if any perfume will hold my attention for more than a couple hours?

"Hopefully not, heh," says my wallet.

The inner evangelist; many people, including me, seem to like evangelizing about various products that they feel strongly about. It's a curious thing. We honestly believe that these things are great, and we want everyone to discover how great they are too. It's like we're all becoming infomercials. I'd better curb this tendency. It comes out the strongest when I talk to my parents.

I bought a cake of Snowcake soap from LUSH in Shimokitazawa. It smells lovely, but I haven't tried it yet.

I need to find some people who blog about minimalism.

Finishing Walden Pond would be a good start towards simplifyng my life. I think I got about half way through that book. Quite pithy and interesting but somehow a little too dense to finish easily. Very different from reading Harry Potter books which are like scarfing Cheetos. Tasty but not fulfilling.

snarky writing and consumerism

Snarky writing about fashion is the best!

Regarding a jewelry site, Spirit Fingers writes:

Some of the designs are bordering on gaudy but there's a heap of pretty, sparkly beaded goodness that had me hunched over the keyboard whispering "My preciousss...we wantsss it!".

I love Lord of the Rings' references.

wardrobe cleanup!

After my Japanese test, I will reward myself by get rid of all the clothes that I don't like to wear. I'll donate them.

Then I will have room for new stuff! Japanese apartments put a nice physical limit on my belongings. I really appreciate that.

nonsensical things

Have to wonder why I feel inclined to write a weblog about frivolous things. Not quite putting my best foot forward, am I?

Laf.

inexpensive makeup

I haven't posted lately. I guess I've been more absorbed with reading other people's blogs.

The nice thing about inexpensive makeup is that when you accidentally buy the wrong thing, it doesn't matter. I got gold eyeliner instead of
brown, but at 380 yen, it doesn't bother me. I tried the gold on; it actually makes a nice subtle sparkle. A little too glittery for work though. I'll try layering on some various color shadows.

I want to throw away that greasy black eyeliner I got from Three Minutes Happiness. It goes on transparently, so really isn't much use. I guess the product lives up to the store's name! Most things in the store are 100 yen.