The Tokyo Look Book

Stylish To Spectacular, Goth To Gyaru, Sidewalk To Catwalk

Seeing as I was holed up in the library yesterday I perused the aisles and stumbled upon this book which looked very interesting (talk about how sometimes judging a book by its cover can come in handy huh?). The author Philomena Keet profiles and photographs people on the street dressed in the latest various trends of Shibuya and Harajuku. Little known fashions outside of these centers but very fashionable in these areas. In this book we are introduced to trends such as: Gyaru, Visual-kei, Decora-kei, Hime-kei, Lolita, and Cosplay. It was like getting the real scope on the trends in Tokyo, no second or third rate information here. If you want to devour all that is Japanese or more specifically Tokyo trends, then this is the book to read. Full color photography

 
You can buy here Amazon

PONPONPON

Enjoy the colors! More Japanese awesomeness or craziness whatever you want to call it. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu started out as a fashion blogger and quickly went to promoting her own beauty products and starring in Harajuku fashion shows. Now here she is with art by 6% DOKIDOKI.

Super Cute Gift Ideas

Gimme Tunes High Heel Speakers

Give the gift of style and function!

Grab 'em here at Perpetual kid for $29.99

CarLashes

Cars with attitude $26.99 $19.99 for crystal eyeliner lashes

Finger snaps all the way! grab them at the above link

KawaiiBox
With KawaiiBox, you can subscribe for either a 12+1 month, 6 month, or 1 month subscription. These all come from an expat living in Japan and each month the recipient will receive goodies from Japan in their mailbox. The selections vary.

For Him

This next one I can assure you your man will love, my own boyfriend has professed his own fondness for this: Illuminated USB Alien.

You can find it here at Strapya for $51.00

Wall graphics

Donkey Kong wall graphics @ Perpetual kid

Get them here from $64.99-69.99

Sake as a skin toner

source

 There are many skin toners out there on the market, most of which will just dry out your skin without any added benefit to your skin. Some people may not even need an added toner to their routine each night. I never really wear much makeup but I have very oily skin. One remedy to add to your arsenal is sake, the delicious Japanese rice wine you might have had while you were out eating sushi. The cost may depend if you are also looking to drink the sake or just use it on your face. It can be purchased for under $10 at your grocery store but there are many varieties at your local Asian food store.

The origin of the popular Japanese skin care brand SK-II began when scientists noticed that although the elderly workers at a sake brewery had wrinkled faces, their hands were soft and youthful after years of constant contact with the sake fermentation process. You can make you own mini versions of their skin care line without the cost, adding rose water and lemon juice to it if you wish. (be careful with lemon juice always as some are sensitive to the acids Test Test Test!)

Spot/Skin Lightener

Now without getting too technical or boring on you, I will just explain the basics of the sake and why it works. It is a rice wine that consists of rice, water, yeast and koji. It has to go through a fermentation process not unlike that of beer. During the fermentation process kojic acid is created which can naturally lighten any dark spots, freckles, or blemishes you may have. Many people use kojic acid in soaps, masks, toners etc to naturally lighten the skin without chemicals. It also inhibits your skin's ability to produce more freckle-inducing melanin.

Acne

Since it has antiseptic properties and contains alcohol it is a good treatment step for acne. Keeping your face clean and free from bacteria is very important when you are trying to win a zit war.

Moisturizer
Now I know what your thinking, an alcoholic drink as a moisturizer? I had the same concerns however, much vitamins and minerals from the fermentation process leave the skin moist and soft. Again, not all products are for everyone so please make sure to test before using.

Sweet and Cute Credit Card Designs

EPOS International and VISA have teamed up to create some really cute designs for cards that we would otherwise just cram into our overloaded wallets. Sure to be a conversation starter, or if you're like me you just like to have every detail to be customized. 

EPOS

Anna Sui Downloads

Hear Yea! Hear Yea! Get your Anna Sui Blog parts while they are still hot! Calendars, clocks, accessories, screensavers, wallpapers and cute cursors that are lipsticks and powder brushes! Get them from Anna Sui here.

Hello Kitty Recliner

Kawaii and comfort at its best, Hello Kitty chair from Rinkya stores reclines 4 ways! Get yours now.

A Bed Fit For A Princess

I thought about having these sort of beds when I was a little girl. Heck, I still want them now! Perfect fairytale beds fit for a princess. I just want to climb into any one of these and never come out ever again...

Hell Girl Wallpapers

Just sitting in the vault: Hell Girl wallpaper from Funimation, right click to download (these are all big enough for widescreen):

Hell Girl

Hell Girl (aka Jigoku Shōjo) is one of my guilty pleasures that I ascribe to and I like to regularly decompress in front of the television with something chocolatey, dim the lights, and turn Hell Girl on Netflix. You can also find it here on Funimation and on Hulu.

Your grievance shall be avenged.

That is the tagline of the show, Hell Girl is for those that need their anime a little darker than most. The premise of the show: "Beyond the veil of midnight lies a website, HellCorrespondence.com. Type in the name of the one upon which you desire retribution ... And it will be served." Hell Girl, Ai Enma will appear and offer you a magical straw doll with a red thread wrapped around its neck. Whether or not you pull the thread is up to you but pulling the thread comes with a price, not only will she ferry the soul of your tormentor into hell but when you die, your soul will also belong to hell. 

pleasant huh?

For your remaining days, you are left with a tattoo on your chest to remind you of this obligation. Over the centuries the correspondence has changed from written to now being done on a website and mobile. There is not much known about Ai, except that she lives with her grandmother and even less about her companions that accompany her. In later episodes we begin to learn more about her. She can be very cold at times and mysterious but that is why I like her. She keeps to herself and that is the charm of her character.

  It can seem a bit repetitive at times, some episodes are more better than others. You are basically watching a show where you know how it is going to end. Are they going to pull the string? Still it's good fun watching those who deserve it get their comeuppance. It's just a show after all. Or is it? Does such a website exist?  
I'm going to give it 8 straw dolls out of 10.  

Tom Savini's Special Effects Program

The four main skill areas covered in this exciting 16 month program are: Make-up Application, Mold Making and Casting, Animation Fabrication, and Exhibit and Display Design. It is designed to obviously ready prospective students for television, film, and photography company careers among many others. Just think, you could be among the few to create creatures and ghouls for the big screen! Now, if by some small chance you have not heard of Tom Savini, here is some of the special effects work he is responsible for:

Friday the 13th
 Friday the 13th: FINAL CHAPTER
Dawn of the Dead
 Day of the Dead
Creepshow
  Texas Chainsaw Massacre II
Monkey Shines
  The Burning
Killing Zoe
Invasion USA
  Martin
  Red Scorpion
  Trauma
Two Evil Eyes
  Maniac
  Tales From the Darkside

  

Yes, he is also the crazy crotch gun guy from the film From Dusk Till Dawn.

Here are some jobs this degree could land you:

Special Make-Up Effects Artist
  Sculptor
  Mask Maker
  Mold Maker
  Prop Fabricator
  Animatronics Designer
  Display Fabricator
Prototype Fabricator
  Freelance Artist
  Scenic Artist
Model Maker
  Fashion & Performance Make-Up Artist
  Dental / Medical Prosthetics Technicians

The school is at the Douglas Education Center, 130 Seventh Street Monessen, PA. It costs approximately $31,250 for tuition and fees, and $6,625 for books and supplies. After you complete the program you get an Associate in Specialized Business Degree Program.
This is with an 80% placement rate and Tom Savini has a class meeting in the first semester (there are 4). Effects artists from the industry inspect portfolios during the 4th semester. I thought he was just going to show up at the end and call it a day for these people.

(images via Douglas Education Center)