Mei's Tokyo Travel Recommendations

Hi everyone! It's Mei! So everyone going to Tokyo already knows about the typical places for Fashion, Historical Sites, and streets, but I'd like to share a bit of my not so "secret" but "secret" enough places I enjoy going to in Tokyo! Beware though, these are not touristy places! TAKANO Fruits Parlor

Do you like fruits? Parfaits? Cakes? Sweets? Well this place is a MUST MUST go to dessert! I'm not too fond of sweet things, but I can handle Takano! Their desserts are not too sweet, because they don't want anything to over power the flavor and natural sweetness of the fruit.

Here's a Pic of the Parfaits I've had with a friends!

My recommended Parfait from their parlor is the Musk Melon Parfait! As for their cakes.....I recommend the Musk Melon Roll Cake!! That's a whole lot of melon right? But.....I love melon!!!!

 I think this one was "Father's Day" special Parfait!

This one I'm having is the Musk Melon Parfait! It's #1! The one my friend is having is....mixed fruits!

Princes of parfaits range from 850~1500 yen. (Musk Melon is 1300 I think) HIGH QUALITY FRUITS!

This is the #1 ranked Musk Melon Roll cake! I wanted to try it....but since I had no special occasion that day, I just wrote "Even if you get fat, I love you -From Mei" to my boyfriend! We made about 6 slices!!! 5/5 DELICIOUS!

You can easily Google TAKANO FRUITS parlor and find it at right outside of the main Shinjuku station next to GUCCI/underground. There are many other locations too! But the Shinjuku location next to Gucci is the only Parfait Bar!

For those of you who like Tonkatsu, THIS WILL BE THE BEST TONKATSU OF YOUR LIFE.

Restaurant Name: Tonta とん太
Nearest Station: Takadanobaba
Address: 3 Chome-17-8 Takada, Toshima, Tokyo 171-0033

This place is AMAZING. Juicy. CRUNCHY. Soft. Moist. Succulent Meat.....OH MY GOD.
It has pretty high ratings on food apps in Japan too! A MUST MUST try for Tonkatsu lovers! I never liked Tonkatsu because of the oily. (I haven't been to this place in a while, so I googled some pics!)

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So this stuff looks really pink and..scary to eat, but don't worry! It's okay to eat it like this! In fact, it tastes the BEST eaten like this~! This is not your typical OVER FRIED DRY tonkatsu!

On the table, there should also be many kinds of salt you can choose to eat this with! so NO TONKATSU SAUCE! just eat this with SALT! (I recommend the Vietnamese Salt!)

TIP: if you don't speak Japanese, bring a picture to show what you want to order! ...or just ask for the OSUSUME!




DATE NIGHT/LUNCH Recommendation 

This next place is for those of you ladies who want to go out with for a cute lunch, craving mexican/spanish food, or need a date night dinner place.

http://modern-mexicano.jp/hacienda/

Hacienda in DAIKANYAMA is a mexican food and spanish tapas Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Bar&Lounge place! Daikanyama is walking distance from Shibuya, but you can also take a direct bus from shibuya station for 100yen, or train one stop. Daikanyama in recent years has become a little like Omotesando. They have many stylish cafes, fancy restaurants, and fancy bars. Many girls who go shopping in Shibuya often go to Daikanyama to wrap up their day with a drink or sweets. My favorite cafe "FRAMES" closed down in Daikanyama and relocated to NakaMeguro, but if you walk around, you'll quickly find many cute cafes.

Anyways, Hacienda looks like......... THIS!

They are located on the 10th floor (or top floor) of their building and you can see all of Shibuya/the rest of Tokyo on the terrace and inside the restaurant if you sit along the window. This place looks extremely expensive, but it's actually average and affordable! I think a huge pitcher of Sangria costs only 1300yen! 

TIP: Make sure to make a reservation via Calling or their WEBSITE for weekends! This place gets packed!

Here is a picture from a cafe I went to in Daikanyama, but I don't remember the name! Sorry!

Unagi in NAKANO

For Unagi lovers, or for people who would like to try Unagi, I highly recommend this place called Miharu [味治] in Nakano! This restaurant was also featured in some Manga....but if you go here, they have the manga on the bookshelf!

tabelog page! 

http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131902/13059507/

I recommend getting the Unajyu at 2500Yen (うな重)

Here's a kind of creepy video of.....me..."unboxing" this......I'm sorry I was really excited!

Kasai Rinkai Koen

 This last place I'd also like to recommend is perfect for dates or if you'd like to ride the biggest ferris wheel in JAPAN!!! This place has beautiful  a flower garden and spacious nature-esque park!

http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index026.html

Look at how huge this is!!!! Even if I took this photo 

So lovely right? I don't recommend this ride...thing....for people who are afraid of heights! 

Have you been to any of these places?  Do you have any recommendations for other favorite spots?

Meet Ayumi Seto!

◉ AUTOGRAPH & PHOTO SESSION:
▶ July 19 (Sat) 3:00pm
▶ July 20 (Sun) 2:00pm
Buy any Aymmy in the batty girls item at MARUQ and get her autograph and take a picture with her!
*Limited to 50 customers each day.

★ About AYUMI SETO:
Ayumi is a Japanese model and designer who appears in a number of Harajuku-kei fashion magazines. She is known as one of the pioneers in a new fashion style called “Kidz Rock.” As a model, Ayumi’s unique fashion style has inspired so many Harajuku-kei girls.
Following the release of her first fashion book titled “AyumiKidz” in October 2013, Ayumi debuted her first clothing brand Aymmy in the batty girls (“Aymmy” for short) in spring 2014 for the first time in the US! As the first brand to be directed by an aomoji-kei model, “Aymmy in the batty girls” offers a wide variety of items that reflect Ayumi’s colorful and edgy style.

We hope to see you there!

Liz Lisa Plaid Puffy Shorts

When it comes to a cute wardrobe, it's essential to have cute plaid bottoms~ (๑•́ ω •̀๑) I've always been a fan of plaid skirts, but since I barely have any shorts, I decided these would be a super cute addition to vary my wardrobe-! Since they're puffy style, it's really easy to dress up or down. I decided on a more casual outfit for today. (*´∀`*)

The pockets are roomy enough for keeping my phone safe. ♡

 My favorite detail on the shorts are the crossed ties in the front! It definitely gives it a cute touch along with the ruffles underneath it. ( ´͈ ॢꇴ `͈ॢ)･*♡

These Liz Lisa Plaid Puffy Shorts are available in-store and will be online soon at shopmaruq.com!

♡ Amarin

Liz Lisa Cropped Moto Jacket

Here our shopstaff Taylor is modeling a popular item currently sold at MARUQ!  This jacket is a great addition to any coordinate~  It is light-weight, so you won't get too warm, but it will also keep out the chills ❤

The sleeves have a charming ribbon detail.

The front of the jacket looks like your typical rider's style, but with a feminine flare!

Also, the pockets look like bows ♥～(‘▽^人)

 

This item is available now in-store, and will soon be online @shopmaruq.com

TUTORIAL How to get perfect Lips

Hey Ladies~  Kissable lips are kind of a big deal, right?

Yet, getting that perfect pout can be so difficult!

Everyone has different lip and mouth sizes, but with a little lip liner magic~

we can all look absolutely charming ♥

Here is how I achieve my plumped up lip look:

First and foremost, I finish all skin base and eye makeup before moving on to lips.

Your lips will be like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae!

After this, your lips may be slightly covered up by foundation and powder, so it is best to remove this excess makeup.

I like to use a moistened Q-Tip to simultaneously remove my base makeup and begin to shape the way my lips should be drawn on.

As you can see, I naturally have very thin, pale lips.. (*´ｪ｀*)

Next, is the lip liner magic!!

I simply use the liner to outline the areas without foundation~

As you can see, I draw slightly over my natural lip size in order to get a poutier, more plump lip.

The last step is to fill in the rest with your favorite lip stick and/or lip gloss ♥
I recommend Brigitte lip gloss.  It's totally opaque and shiny and gives your lips a sweet glow!

Ready for the day!

♥ IN-STORE EVENT ♥ : Autograph & Photo session with Ayumi Seto!!

“Aymmy in the batty girls,” a new Harajuku-kei fashion brand designed by Ayumi Seto (Harajuku Kawaii model & Zipper), will make its US debut at our Harajuku Kawaii Pop-up Shop!

Ayumi Seto, a Zipper and Harajuku Kawaii model and the designer of the new brand “Aymmy in the batty girls'" is coming to San Francisco on April 12th & 13th to have an autograph & photo session with fans!

 

 To celebrate this first appearance of her own brand in US, Ayumi Seto herself will be in store to have a special autograph/photo session with fans!  She will be here two days on Saturday, April 12th and Sunday, April 13th (the first weekend of Cherry Blossom Festival).

The first 50 customers who purchase any “Aymmy in the batty girls” products on April 12th and 13th will receive a pass to a special autograph & photo session by Ayumi Seto. (Limited to 50 passes on each day.)The special session starts at 3:00pm on both days inside our Harajuku Kawaii Pop-up Shop! ‘Aymmy’ products will be available anytime between 11:00am-6:00pm.

♥ DATE:
April 12th (Sat) & 13th (Sun), 2014
2 days only (the first weekend of Cherry Blossom Festival)
♥ TIME :
– 3:00pm~ (on both days)
♥ BUSINESS HOURS:
11:00am – 6:00pm (during Cherry Blossom Festival)
♥ HOW TO GET A PASS:
Passes to the session will be issued at the store counter to the first 50 customers who purchase“Aymmy in the batty girls” products (Limited to 50 people on each day)

We hope to see you there!

How to get Beautiful Long Eyelashes! (+Give away!)

I've tried tons of different ways to achieve long lashes; serums, lash strips, weird at home remedies, you name it!  All of these options either take forever or are just a big hassle to do everyday. 

When Lash Spot opened upstairs in the New People building, I was super EXCITED! I signed up for their lash extension service right away. Honestly, I'm a pretty lazy person so anything that will facilitate my morning make up routine is worth trying! The lash extensions were so long and voluminous that people thought I was wear eye make up even when I wasn't!

I actually got the extensions done 2 weeks ago, so I decided to write a review of them now that I've had them for an extended period of time.

Booking the Appointment: It was super easy to book an appointment. The manager was very polite and personally called me to confirm my availability. That was a huge PLUS in my book! I've had a lot of other salons treat me very rudely because I look a lot younger than I actually am. The staff here were very friendly and helpful when I asked them about the different services and prices that they offered.

My Esthetician:  I didn't know any of the staff who worked there yet so they paired me with an esthetician that was free during that time. My esthetician was named Kara, she was SUPER SWEET!! Ask for her if you are interested in getting extensions!

The Process: 

1- Before I got the extensions, they asked me to remove my contacts and the makeup around my eyes. I recommend just coming without make up or contacts! 

2- Picking your lashes: 

They have 2 types of lashes: C-type and J-type. 

Curly C-type

Natural J - type

Kara started by asking what type of look I was going for and how long I wanted the lashes to be. They will tailor the service to what you want. I didn't really know what lashes to choose so I just let Kara choose for me. 

I got the Ultra Lash service which is about 100 lash extensions per eye! 

3- The Eye Mask: To make sure the glue didn't touch my lower lashes, she gave me a moisturizing eye mask that covered my bottom lid. That eye mask itself was AMAZING!! I usually have extremely puffy, tired eyes but the mask totally refreshed my bottom lid and calmed my eyes.

Moisturizing Eye Mask!

4- Gluing on the Extensions: Each lash needs to be individually separated to glue on the extension. To my surprise, I could barely feel a thing! You're not suppose to open your eyes once the esthetician starts gluing the extension to avoid any chances of any glue getting into your eye. My service took about 2 hours.  I actually just fell asleep within a couple minutes since it was so relaxing. When I woke up, she was pretty much done with the whole service.

At the end, Kara spent about 10 minutes separating some lashes that were stuck together. It was a little irritating for my eyes, but it wasn't painful at all. It just felt like a slight tug on my lashes.

When I looked in the mirror I was SHOCKED at what a difference it made!! All the lashes were gorgeously curled and added so much volume to my natural lashes! They felt light and didn't irritate my eye lids at all. I was extremely happy with the results! It was like I took a 2 hour nap and woke up with beautiful lush lashes haha.

Here are the results:

Right after service, no makeup.

With some light eye liner only.

With Makeup♥

Here are some of the care instructions they gave me:

* For the first 24 hours you're suppose to keep them completely dry! If you get them wet, the glue can get weakened and cause the extension to fall out quickly.

* Don't use waterproof mascara, it can weaken the glue. Honestly the extensions are so dark and full on their own, you don't need mascara!

* Don't pull at the extension because it might take out your real lash too!!

After 2 weeks of having the extension, I'm still very happy I got them done! I get a ton of compliments. Thank you Lash Spot ♥ 

♥ G ♥ I  ♥ V ♥ E ♥ A ♥ W ♥ A ♥ Y ♥

To celebrate the opening of their San Francisco branch, we are giving away $25 gift cards towards any Eyelash Extension service at Lash Spot!

To get your gift card, all you have to do it follow our blog 

and share this post on Facebook or Twitter! 

To follow our blog, click the blue button at the bottom of our page.

To share, click the facebook or twitter icon at the bottom of this post!

After you Like and Share, come to MARUQ and show one of our shop staff. 

After confirming, we will give you your Lash Spot $25 gift card!
** Gift cards are limited **

XOXO,
Tiffa