Pure genius... my friend Reina's massage oil candle

I must say... this candle is pure genius. It's a jasmine perfumed candle which candle wax turns into massage oil (& without burning your skin! wait for just a few minutes after you blow out the candle and then apply the melted wax directly on your skin). The scent will stay on your skin throughout the day... mmm.

My perfumer friend Reina made this. Check out her stuff here, or I can arrange it if you want to try this (or just come to my place and try it on!). 

Happy relaxing Sunday....

Long time... weekend breather

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in a full month.. In the meantime, I moved apartments and feel a lot of things have changed for the better, resembling more of my life before Hong Kong (I guess the bigger space can give you lots)! I was going to take photos of my new apartment today but given the super fog outside hopefully not pollution from our neighbor, I decided to wait for a sunny day and just relax today, taking a bath, baking (I never really bake other than in Sweden), and doing home things! When I took a bath, I found this package from my favorite hotel in Bali, from Komaneka! They are so sweet, they had given me a massage oil, bath salt, and soap set when checking out...

This week was Jakarta week. I had met my 2 friends from Jakarta time from (scary) 5 years ago, visit my new place! I feel that was a special moment in time in my life: for the first time living in a developing country, working outside of Japan, and just taking everything for what it is and enjoy whatever you can (and all expats were automatically a friend!). I met a lot of special friends then.

Loving Aesop

I am loving Aesop and the shops they have here in Hong Kong. Everytime I go, they let me try generous heaps of different products, and I always love buying more than I need. Today, I bought this new type of exfoliating and aromatic hand soap with same type hand cream and parsley seed serum that I had tried the samples before. Love.

Try the one near SOHO. The shop people are the best there.

Aesop
52-60 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong
+852 2544 4489

Reina's new perfume

Freshly made perfume! The tassel is made by her sister... such sisterly affection.

CHANEL Sycamore

Finally, a CHANEL exclusive scent that I have been looking to buy, for almost 1 year! What pushed me to finally buy was that the shop person, who looked to be the same person would have soon noticed that I was going in and out of the store, always debating over the same thing. I bought SYCAMORE, a very woody smell, a scent of a carpenter. The shop person kindly gave me a small sample of BEIGE as well. I will bring both to London and Sweden.

Get yourself a haircut here in HK!

If you are thinking of getting a haircut, don't think, just go here. The guy was like jesus and a big time celebrity hair stylist in Omotesando (he himself was a celeb). He can really cut, and I am really happy about trying him who's not my usual hair stylist (and I don't have to wait for my chance to visit Tokyo to get a haircut).

He opened his shop here in HK in October 2011. What made me double happy was that he praised the thoughtful perm that my stylist did on me more than a year ago, which is still staying. I like scientist type artists who can acknowledge other people's technique.

Voi Voi Rakkus Hair Salon
10/F, The Loop, 33 Wellington St, Central, HK. +852 2801 7755 (ask for Hasegawa-san).

Reina Maruyama's perfume event

Thanks to all who participated from Hong Kong, and of course Reina and Junko, who came from Japan to host this perfume event. It was super fun and a great learning for me!

Very, very cool to learn through actually smelling and taking home 30+ different kinds of scent from the pyramid of the top notes (citrus, green, anise, and aldyhyde), middle notes (spicy, floral, and fruity), and bottom notes (musky, woody, mossy, amber, powdery, and animalic). I look forward to hosting the next event. Please let me know if anyone has any requests or questions!

 

 

Finally, Reina Maruyama's Fragrance Event in HK!

My very good friend Reina, who is a fragrance designer, is holding a special fragrance seminar in Hong Kong next Saturday! There are only a few spots left, so let me know asap if you want to join.

In the session, you can discover the fascinating world of fragrance through learning about the perfume history, smelling each family and famous fragrances, and following trends. Reina will also bring really special, exclusive ingredients, which you won't ever get a chance to smell unless you are in the fragrance world. I am particularly interested in Reina analyzing the smell I would like, and together creating my own personalized and unique scent, to bring home.

Read Reina's blog and official website to learn more. She's also holding seminars in Tokyo, London, and Cologne, so try to get to one of these.

Date: July 28, 2012
Time: 13:00-16:00
Place: J Residence, 60 Johnston Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong (next to the Pawn)
Fee: HKD 900 (Includes raw materials for your take home cologne, samples, and a mini booklet)

Profile: Ms. Reina Maruyama started her fragrance career as Lancôme Fine Fragrance Product Manager at L’Oreal Japan. As her passion for fragrance grew, she moved to Paris to study at the perfumery school, ISIPCA and worked in Givaudan France as an Evaluator, creating fragrances for international companies. In 2011, she became a freelancer and travels back and forth the capital of fragrance, Paris and the city of Eau de Cologne, Köln. Reina currently holds seminars in London, Cologne, and Tokyo.

Reina Maruyama

My perfumer friend is holding a party in collaboration with Diptyque in London. Super exciting! Reina is my super friend from college who was in charge of fragrance at Lancome Japan. She then went to study perfumery at ISIPCA and worked in Givaudan until last year. Now she's freelancing and holding perfume making sessions in London, Tokyo, and Cologne. You should go if you live in London! I will try to invite her to HK soon.

Lasting scent

I picked up these two perfume-like bottles in Istanbul and have since continued to wear them, which is a first time for me. I usually get a headache or get immensely bored with one scent, so I am thrilled to perhaps finish a whole bottle someday!

I bought the Guerlain Allegoria for myself two years ago but my mom wanted it, so have since been thinking of buying it again. Nymphea has a floral scent, which I am happy to admit makes me feel happy that I finally graduated from chasing only grapefruity smell. You can check them out here.

New white gel nails

Kelture Aveda
#05-07 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road, Singapore 238859
+65 6735 6468

Shibuya nails

I got calgel nails for the first time, thanks to my friend Naru Naru who works at Seventeen magazine who always has cute nails and referred me to her nail salon in Shibuya.



Since it lasts for a month and my nails will grow (especially fast in the tropics), the salon designed it in reverse French style so that the bottom can grow without looking funny. Smart...

Espoir
+81 3 5456 5521
Success Shibuya Building 2F, 1-10-6 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Surprise eye eyelash perm

Am I the only person who still does eyelash perm? And am I the only one who looks so surprised once after? I always debate whether to ask for "natural" or "dramatic"... and I always end up asking for "dramatic"... and then, I instantly regret that I look shockingly surprised. Here is a shot before dinner, hiding my shock eyes with makeup.

Outside of Japan, I usually get permed up at Browhaus, which is a Singaporean chain. In HK, there is one in SOHO and in Jakarta there is one at Senayan City (B1). I think their perm lasts the longest.

Browhaus
Ground Floor, 17 Lyndhurst Terrace
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 28450886

Clear orange RMK manicure

Ohmigosh, this RMK manicure is genius. I have returned from Tokyo and put these on, and it's lasted for 2 weeks without looking haggard at all! You can pick them up at the Narita airport if you're not going into town...

In a shot with a marimekko mouse that my friends had given me.

Natural Nuxe beauty products

I am loving Nuxe all of a sudden, from thinking it was a knock-off of Origins before! I especially like the toner which smells like beautiful roses.

I bought so many at once, because of the smart and super business minded shopkeepers at SASA who coaxed me into buying all this when I only needed an eye cream. But I'm now really happy about it, so thanks to the super business minded shopkeepers :)

Neon pink nails

I should've stolen Hiroko's manicure when I could! I really love them but sadly forgot to note down which one this was.