spritzed at the department store

Yesterday I swung by Tobu while waiting for a dinner appointment, and tested three fragrances.

The first: Dolly Girl limited edition 2006 something or other. Smells nice; in fact, smells just like Secret Wish! Do all Anna Sui perfumes smell the same? I shall have to investigate. Sweetly floral; a little powdery; pleasant but I wouldn't buy. I did buy the eyebrow brush #1 though. I guess there's no lack of stock in Japan.

The second was Givenchy Amarige. Very nice top notes! Love gardenia. But it turned powdery on me within the hour, so I lost interest. The bottle is gorgeous.

The third was Mat Matsushima's Mintea. Lovely top notes; mint and citrus. But it too dried down into a powdery something that lost my interest.

Japanese yukata (light summer kimono)

I bought a yukata at Uniqlo the other day. I've always thought that they were pretty, but as people normally only wear them to the summer fireworks festivals and obon festivals, there are limited oppportunities to wear a yukata. I didn't even go to any summer festivals last year. However, this year I decided that life is short and yukata are pretty and a nice aspect of living in Japan, so I picked up an inexpensive red one from Uniqlo. Normally yukata run from 6000 yen and up (way up; can get into the hundreds of dollars), but they're only 4000 yen at Uniqlo (cheaper materials and more limited selection). I am now the proud owner of a yukata. It's cute, and I think the quality has improved from last year. Made in China of course.

It's surprisingly difficult to put a yukata on properly, but I think I'll manage. The yukata comes with a matching little purse, which I didn't expect. I probably ought to get a white slip for it too.

pop music

I think I'm a new Rihanna fan. Fun music!

i was just looking for good gift sites

Sadly, I forgot that the one problem with gift shopping is that you might encounter something that you want for yourself.

Want:
good fortune necklace (but I don't think it's worth $85)

spiral drop lariat (cute...)

ditto

Urban Chick has a great quote:

It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. - Bertrand Russell

for perfume enthusiasts

You might find the pictures of this fragrance shop interesting. It would be fun to visit the shop and see all the fragrances, but I'd be afraid of damaging a fortune's worth of bottles if I stepped inside the place.