I thought I’d try out a quick and easy nail tutorial, I created this look over a year ago. I didn’t really feel like enough people saw my post or I explained clearly enough how the look was achieved. I hope everyone enjoys it!
10 Facts About Japan
Free Photo Editing Apps
Since buying myself an ipod touch I’ve loved playing about with the cameras and photo editing apps, they’re fun, fast and fantastic. I’ve always enjoyed taking photos and photoshopping them to perfection but it’s a time consuming process. I found that good photo editing apps are hard to come by, especially free ones. With many like CamWow plastering their tasteless logo onto your snaps, I raided the app store in search of the best free photo editing apps.
MonkiMi is an app created by the youthful clothing store Monki (owned by H&M), It is the only app listened that is completely free of charge with no costly add ons. Simply take a photograph or upload, then watch the magic happen as your eyes enlarge for a super, freaky, cute look. You can also customise your photo with a wide range of frames, stamps, phases and digital makeup. There is even a blur type tool to soften the complexion of your skin, making it look almost perfect. This app is aimed at the fashion savvy, with a range of trendy accessories including hats and jewellery.
Another favourite of mine is Snoopify, set up by the rapper Snoop Dog himself, this app will leave you feeling graciously gangster. Since downloading the app last year he has introduced more free stamps, my personal favourite being the huge cigarette (wait, that’s no cigarette). A few of my personal favourites include a snapback, huge spliff, wedges of cash and a “puff,puff,pass” phrase.
Google’s Snapseed is a slightly more advanced editor; although not my favourite. There is a wide range of filters and frames, it allows you to adjust the saturation, brightness and contrast. You can add analogue effects such as light leaks and scratches. The app also provides other basic tools such as cropping and correcting red eye. Although the application has a vast amount of effects, I think most of the filters tend to make photographs look a little kitsch, tasteless and very amateur in comparison to other apps I have used.
As a lover of Photoshop I was excited to find out they were making their app Photoshop express free, since downloading it last year they haven’t updated it much. My favourite feature on this app is probably the filters, many of them have a very natural look. Other useful features on the app include cropping, sharpen, contrast, clarity, red eye correction and many more. I was very impressed with this app, I felt it gave the most professional results than any other editor I have used before, It was very easy to use and is practically idiot proof.
Rakuga-cute is an amazing app, although Japanese the app is in English, with a wide range of stamps, roll stamps and frames to choose from, you can be sure to make your photos look super kawaii. The app allows you to create colleges too, with existing photographs; which is very unusual for a free app. You can also use monochrome filter; I was intrigued by this feature and never would have expected a it to be free. This app really does give you the flexibility to be as creative as you can, without breaking the bank. You also have the choice to take things alittle feather with buying a few extras from there store.
Harajuku Inspired Make-up
L’oreal Miss Manga Mascara
I don’t usually wear make-up, maybe its something to do with 2014, new year, new me. On my most recent trip to Superdrug I went in look for a new black eyeliner, but thought I’d see what else was on display.
Recently stumbling across a review by beckii crul, now fashion blogger, I decided to check out the product myself. I’d seen many adverts for the product but wasn’t at all taken in until beckii reviled that the mascara came in both violet and blue. I’ve never heard of coloured mascara before, i haven’t even seen it in the corners of cyber dog, one of the most eccentric fashion stores I know.
But I recently brought a new mascara, I find most of them seem to be the same old product with a different packaging. I’ve have my fair share of silicone brushes or fine tooth combed ones but there isn’t a huge different in performance I find.
The mascaras came in the 3 different shades; I only decided to buy one which was the blue. Even though purple is my favourite colour beckii stated that it didn’t lengthen as much as the blue and black mascaras. I’ve also discovered to get the Japanese look the colours pink and blue are often used.
This product is really unusual but of course it’s not for everyone, some may find the blue mascara is far too eccentric for their liking but I think this products is a true reflection of Harajuku style, unique, quirky and cute.
Disappointingly I don’t think L’oreal advertised this product efficiently following asian clieces with their panda mascot with a badly designed body. It would have also been nice to seen an asain model maybe Kyary Pamyu Pamyu as we lack diversity in today advertising culture, not to forget this products inspiration is from Japan. I also found it stupid that they only used black mascara on their model, I’d seen a few advertisements on this product on social networking sites yet all of them failed to show or mentune the product came in 3 differnt colours which was the main marketing point for me.
I also picked up a leaflet in store, which was only in superdrug, the leaflet prompet you to buy the super liner blackbuster, miss manga mascara and glam shine balmy gloss to complete the Japanese look. I needed a new eyeliner and love my thick black panda eyes to so picked up the eyeliner too, the models eye that had the eyeliner on had a very similar amy winehouse appeal to them. As I looked again at the miss manag model, i noticed that she wasn’t wearing any eyeliner, I noticed this was another huge flaw in advierisemet.
Dispirte the bad marketing of the product, I really like it and it would apper that alot of other people do too, most of the coloured mascara had sold out in superdrug and I brought the last eyeliner. You do have to top it up with a couple of layers to get the full impact of the blue, of course you do this with all mascaras. I also have the feeling that the shade of blue may glow under UV because it ever so slightly illumoisnes. Which is brillent if youd wear it to a club. The product also has a 360’ wand which is suppost to give an even better performance, I didn’t realise this feature on the product until I visited the website, i don’t feel it effects the proformce or application of the product in anyway, not enharnceing it.
There is huge campege on the L’oreal website where they are running a completion, giving away free wallpapers and a free online photo app. I love my free customisation apps whether there online or to download, the app was pretty straight forward to use but I would advice using it on a computer.
I applied the mascara on only my bottom lashes and added pink eyeshadow in the crease around my eye and underneath in the couner, i covered the whole lid with a lilac eye shawdow. I also used a little blue on the inside couner of my eyes. After applying all the colours i blended it in, when finished i dapped on some more pink in the corners of my eyes without blending it to give a more vivid tone of pink. I also contured my eyes highlighting the inner courners of the eyes, brow bone and cheek bones with sliver eye shadow.
I finshed the look of by using the black mascara on the top lashes.
My colour of mascaras and eye shadow, are very similar to those used on the leaflet I picked up and that I picked up at yo sushi this month, I was very pleased with the out come of this look and I have never seen mascara only on the bottom lashes before which i thought worked surprisingly well.
Over all I would recommend this product, mainly for the colour factor and it’s clump free finish, I would advice going to superdrug to buy this product as they had it on offer where as in Boots it’s full price. I would advice experimenting with this product too as L’oreal haven’t given many examples of how to style this product , viewing other bloggers application too show all of them wearing the product alone. I hope my product review is inspiring and I plan to experiment more with makeup in the future as I was impressed with the outcome I achieved on this occasion.
愛
(love)
http://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/missmanga
and photoshop
Harajuku Girl Trend!
Trends don’t come along like they used to; London, New York, Milan, Paris fashions weeks, of course Charlotte Olympia proves they still do but the internet is forever taking fashion by stom. Most current trends can be predicted online though social network and blogs such as tumblr, we heart it and pintrest.
Last year it was the galaxy print trend, custom galaxy appeal and beauty laced youtube, even I caught on with my own shot at doing my nails and even customising skinny jeans later last year in my first youtube tutorial. This years trend is super kawaii as Japanese Harajuku style takes the world by strom. Japans biggest Musician, style Icon and fashion designer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, has gone global via the internet and is inspiring young fashionista’s every where.
There is no language barrier as people world wide are enjoying her music and styling, girls every where are buying into this Japanese cult of anime and manga, with the recent come back of Pokemon as nerds are for ever growing to be forever popular. As we know it was uncool to be associated to be a nerd 10 years ago and now nerds are cute, everyone’s in love with geek chic.
I first took an interest in Japanese culture earlier last year, my brother recommended I listen to grimes, a Canadian musician with a love for Japanese pop culture. I was instantly taken in with her anime fashion inspired video and dreamy techno sounds. I later on discovered Kyary as I scoured the internet for more Japanese inspired music, I later learnt that alot of Kpop music video have matching dances.
I found this extremely exciting, most of western cultures using twerking and other provocative dancing where as in Japan the careful choreographed dances are modest and cute. One viral dance that was huge in Japan was the danjo dance made famous by Beckii Curl, she became famous in Japan from learning the dances. I first herd of beckii a few years backwhen I watched a docometry titles “beckii, 14 and super star”, she’s bagged herself a music career and has now started fashion blogging. Searching this dance on youtube many European girls are in hope of the same fate as beckii, to become a celebrity in Japan.
Unfortunately beckii can’t fluently speak Japanese which I believe has been a disadvantage in Japan, the language barrier has held her back. Her youtube channel is now based around fashion doing hauls hair and makeup, of course her audience isn’t as big as it used to be because dance has no language barriers but tutorials do. Meaning she’s lost a few followers tuning in because they can’t understand her.
This January I also visited a sushi bar for the first time, I went to Yo! Sushi, I was welcomed and explained that I could take anything from the conveyer belt or order something hot from the menu. I loved to food and try squid for the first time, it tasted like fried prawns. I also picked up a little leaflet which had an image of a geisha girl promoting there January blues offer and advertising there social networking sites.
Over the next year I will continue to explore this culture as I find it interesting and inspiring , I hope to write more posts about japan and Kpop too.
Galaxy jeans and Tshirt YouTube tutorial
The first fashion tutorial is up on YouTube, I’m customising a pair of black skinny jeans with a trendy galaxy print.
For this tutorial you will want to avoid buying expensive jeans, I brought mine on ebay for £6.89. If you are buying the Acrylic Paints especially for this tutorial you can buy a small pack for cheap at your local pound store or the works. I brought my Rachael Hale Acrylic Paints in Poundland. You can also replace using the Gold Fabric Paint with using white Acrylic paints for a cheaper alternative.
Products Used
– Acrylic Paints (I used Rachael Hale Acrylics Blue and Red)
-Pébéo Shimmer Fabric Paints (Gold and Wine)
-Spray Bottle with bleach (1 part bleach, 1 part water)
-Tooth brush
-Sponge
-Paint Palette or dish
-A Black Pair Of Cotton Skinny Jeans (Important that they are cotton to take to the bleach).
Fashion tutorial
I’m featuring in my first fashion tutorial filmed, directed and edited by Zachary Forster. I’ll be customising a pair of skinny jeans and a tshirt with a galaxy print design. Hope you all tune in Friday!
Kate Moss for Topshop!
Barbie keyring
This cute keychain was £3 from eBay, I love this retro barbie design. It reminds me of the nighties when I was just a little girl. I also a a cup I a similar design, the collect was made by a company called “half moon bay”. It’s totally unique and retro.
lillekins 