reflecting on 2013

 

 

 

 

Here I am again, in my apartment in Japan, typing up my reflection of this past year.

This year was crazier than last year, especially the last half of the year. As some of you may or may not know, my father passed away in August due to a tragic motorcycle accident. When I first received news of this, I felt like my life broke into a million pieces and my body was drained of all happiness and life. Being halfway across the globe didn't help the situation either, but I booked the first flight available and flew back home to be with my family. My two weeks back in California were short and stressful in many ways, but I was, and still am, extremely grateful for the support from my friends and family during the most difficult time of my life. And I'm so glad my family is closer than ever. I wish I could still talk to my dad and tell him about some of the accomplishments I made this year. But that might have to wait 'til I see him, hopefully in heaven. Despite that, now I have more of a reason to work harder this upcoming year to make him proud.


I did have some better, happier times this year. My first trip/fashion show in Vietnam, recording & writing original tracks with musicians in Tokyo, meeting new people and making new friends, strengthening existing friendships, my promotion at work, new hairstyle/ new look, and a new special person in my life.  I know my list is so vague, but one thing I can say is, I am truly thankful for all the experiences I've had this year, good and bad. They've made me a stronger person, and helped me set new goals for 2014.



I hope you all had a great 2013, and may the upcoming year bring you many more worthwhile experiences and happiness.  Thank you all so much for keeping up with my blog - I wouldn't have been able to continue it this long without your support, seriously! I hope you all look forward to my posts next year! :)




I've blabbed on too long, so see you all next year!





Much love,


Samantha Mariko

and the winner is...

And the winner for the $100 Jollychic Giveaway is...

 

 

Rod Jackson!!

 

 

 

Congratulations Rod and thanks for entering the giveaway! You should be receiving and email from Jollychic.

 

 

Thank you so much to everyone else that entered the giveaway!!

 

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha Mariko

merry christmas

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Japan!

Spent my Christmas night with my boo - admiring the illuminations in Shinjuku then heading over to Outback Steakhouse for a Christmas dinner.

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha Mariko

essential oils - winter skincare

 

 

 

 

My recent obsession: essential oils.

 

Dry, winter weather almost always means dry skin, and I think all of us want to avoid that at all costs.

Starting with Josie Maran's 100% Argan Oil, I've been trying different kinds of oils to keep my skin soft and moisturized. So far, it's working. Here is a list of the oils I am currently using:

 

 

1. Sweet Almond Oil from Muji

2. Olive Squalane Oil from Muji

3. Earthveil Deep Balm

4. Shu Uemura Pore Clarifying Gentle Cleansing Oil

5. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Light

6. Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil

 

 

 

For my face, I use the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil - it removes all of my makeup and doesn't dry my skin out at all. Next, I apply tea tree oil on any blemishes or problem spots so they heal quicker. Then, I apply either the Josie Maran Argan Oil (for day) or the Olive Squalane Oil (for night) - a little bit goes a long way! I use a toner after, but since it's not an oil, I didn't include it in this post. Lastly, I apply a small amount of the Deep Balm all over my face. This balm is amazing because it includes argan oil, shea butter, grapeseed oil and meadowfoam oil, which all have great skin benefits. But I only use this balm for nighttime since it contains so many different oils.

 

You might think, don't all these oils make your skin too oily? Actually, no because the winters in Tokyo are so dry and I have combination skin. I use very little of each product and make sure I blend it into my skin. Like I said before, a little goes a long way.

 

 



 

An article I found in the December issue of ELLE girl Japan about oils for skincare. Sorry it's in Japanese but I did find a lot of good information here.

Some important points:

- You can mix oils with your foundation. Just one or two drops will be sufficient for smoother application and moist skin throughout the day.

-Oils can be used not only on your face, but for the rest of your body. I use my sweet almond oil for my hands before I go to sleep.

- It's more effective to apply oil before toner after cleansing your skin (squalane oil is a great pre-oil for this purpose).

 

 

 

Are there any oils you use or would like to use? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha Mariko

Christmas Wishlist 2013

Only a few days until Christmas! I am literally counting down the days. It's got to be one of my favorite holidays, besides New Years and, well, my birthday. This year, I decided to make a visual Christmas wishlist. While I was making this, I realized I don't really need any of these... but it would be nice if I had them! 

1. Marc Jacobs Watch

2. Madewell Stacked Heal Loafer 

3. Madewell Lace Bralette

4. Madewell Hepcat Shades

5. Paul Smith Makeup Pouch

6. Palmier Room Fragrance

7. Marc Jacobs Perfume 

I've have a thing for nice-smelling things lately.. Anything that makes me or my room smell amazing is definitely on my Christmas list. And anything Marc Jacobs. And anything from Madewell...

What is the No.1 thing on your wishlist this Christmas? Let me know in the comments!

Also, dont't forget to enter the Jollychic $100 Giveaway!
Ends December 23rd which is very soon :)

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

JOLLYCHIC $100 GIVEAWAY (ENDED)

Hey everyone!

I am happy to announce my first every giveaway on Letters Impromptu! The winner of this giveaway will win a $100 shopping spree at Jollychic.

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.

Jollychic have tons of cute clothes & accessories, so please enter this awesome giveaway :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Entering is very easy - just follow these steps:

1. Register at Jollychic here.

2. Leave a comment on this post with the e-mail address you registered with.

3. Follow me (Samantha Mariko) on at least 2 of the following social media sites and let me know which ones in your comment:

Google+

GFC

Bloglovin'

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Please take note that the deadline to enter this giveaway is Monday, December 23rd at midnight!

The winner will be announced in a post, and will receive an e-mail from Jollychic (so don't forget to leave your e-mail in your comment!). Shipping is free, and the $100 cannot be exchanged for cash.

Enjoy :)

Love,

Samantha Mariko

Samantha Mariko Official Website

 

 

 

Hey all!

I am so excited to announce that my official portfolio website is finally up for view!

I've arranged photos from my photo shoots in a gallery style, so please take a look!

 

 

 

www.samanthamariko.com

 

 

There is also a tab called "Gallery" right under my banner that will take you to the website as well.

 

 

Let me know what you think. :)

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha

aquamarine

(Jacket: Forever 21; turtleneck: Zara; shorts: Vintage Levi's; boots: Dr. Martens)

A few more from my weekend outing in Kawagoe. I had no idea plain, plastic water bottles could create something so pretty like this. I think the yellow foliage added a nice touch. This jacket I grabbed from Forever 21 was such a steal - I found a similar one at Zara for twice the price, but this one is so sturdy and warm, I can probably wear it next year, too. And I love my cropped turtleneck.. So much more special than a regular turtle knit.

And thank you to my friend Trevor for snapping away these photos for me :)

Love,

Samantha Mariko

thankful

 

 

 

 

And this is how I spent my Thanksgiving weekend. Koedo ("Little Edo") Kawagoe on Saturday afternoon, with a good friend to keep me company and take some great photos for me. We feasted on Unagi (eel), had lots of delicious dessert food as we walked around the streets of Koedo, then trekked over to Kawagoe Castle, the second castle in Japan that I've been to since I moved here. Everything was so beautiful. Life is beautiful and I am so happy to be alive. Just too thankful this year despite all of the ups and heavy downs this year.

 

 

 

More photos from this weekend coming soon in my next post. Hope your Thanksgiving weekend was enjoyable!

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha Mariko

all of the lights

(coat & shirt: Zara, sweater: Uniqlo; pants: Le Ciel Bleu; shoes: Underground;

clutch: Wego)

photos by Lisa from paint with stars photography

I had the pleasure of shooting with Lisa again, this time during the evening hours in Midtown, Roppongi. I really wanted to check out the pretty illuminations, and it seemed like Lisa enjoyed them, too. It was a bit difficult to get some good shots in the dark, but she her amazing photography skills shined through.

This coat is an old-time favorite of mine... I think this is my third year wearing it. I probably should invest in a new gray coat, but I love this one! And I finally, finally found the perfect white shirt at Zara for 4000 yen (about $40 USD), which I think is pretty reasonable.

Are you all looking forward to Christmas/ holiday lights this year? I know I am!

Love,

Samantha Mariko