from LA to Tokyo

 

 

Last night, I had dinner with my friend who is vising Tokyo from LA. We took a few modeling and acting classes together in LA, but I think this is the first time we actually met up outside of classes or work. I hadn't seen her in over a year, so imagine all the catching up we had to do! She is also aspiring to become a model in Japan so I really hope she does well. Can't wait to see her again, hopefully soon:)

 

 

I took her to Jinnan Cafe in Shibuya, which is one of my go-to spots in Tokyo. We didn't have it this time, but their pancakes are delicious, too!

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha Mariko

 



hair care routine

 

 

 

 When summertime approaches, I tend to get my hair colored a shade or two lighter than my normal hair color. I got an ombre done for the first time a few months ago and I love it; however, when I got a haircut recently, my hairdresser told me how damaged my hair is because of it. Even though I didn't have a single split-end, she said my hair doesn't feel as great as it used to when she combed her fingers through it. So, she recommended I use Schwarzkof Professional BC KUR Color Specific Hair Mask to repair the damage. Her advice was to focus on my ends and even though the directions say to use it 1-2 times a week, she said to use it every time I wash my hair. I've used it for almost two weeks now and I think my hair has improved significantly.

 

Another hair care product I've been using religiously is the Kerastase Huile K Sublime. One bottle lasted me half a year, so I consider it a very good investment. It smells amazing, so I use it as a hair cologne as well as a leave-in conditioner. I apply 1-2 pumps of the Kerastase to my wet hair, and 1 pump after I blow dry my hair. I highly recommend this product!

 

 

What kind of hair care products do you use? Let me know in the comments :)

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha Mariko

 

summer favorites

 

(Dezso Clutch, Deux Lux Clutch, Plush Lush Free's Shop makeup bag)

 

 

I decided I wanted to share my favorite summer accessories, and they all have a common theme: neon orange. Summer should be all about the bright, vibrant colors to match the warm weather. My favorite (as you can tell from my previous posts) is my Deszo by Sara Beltran clutch that I got at Restir Surfside - the orange piping detail is subtle and I love the palm tree print. Reminds me of the California beaches back home! And I just recently received the Deux Lux clutch as a late birthday gift - I think it's so adorable. Last but not least, my Plush Lush makeup bag that I got on sale at Shibuya Scramble (sorry, couldn't find it online!). It fits just about everything very snugly. I wish summer wouldn't end so quickly so I can keep using these items! But alas, it is already the middle of August...

 

 

What are you favorite items this summer? Please share in your comment :)

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha Mariko

reunion!

 

 

 

Yesterday, I had a glorious reunion with one of my best friends from SoCal. It's hard to realize that it's been a year since I last saw him.. time flies so quickly. Anyways, we had a late lunch/dessert with his friends at Bubby's in Yokohama Landmark Tower (their apple pie was superb!), and my friend and I headed over to Shibuya for a much-needed karaoke session and dinner. I've know this handsome guy for 9 years now and always thankful that our friendship has remained strong throughout those years. Even though I live in Tokyo and he lives in SoCal, I know that I can always go to him for anything and vice versa. Gonna miss you!

 

 

 

One a side note, I've updated my header and [finally] included an "About" page. Would be awesome if you all checked that out :)

 

 

 

Good night everyone and have a great week!

 

 

 

 

Love,

 

Samantha Mariko



girls day in odaiba

(Shirt: Topshop; shorts: vintage Levi's; shawl: old from Rimo; clutch: Dezso; sandals: Target)

This week was a hectic blur it seemed like - work always keeps me busy and having other small jobs on the side doesn't really make it any better. And my good friend who had been doing her year abroad in Tokyo stayed a few nights at my place this week before she left for California. Luckily, we managed to put aside one whole day for us to spend at her favorite place, Odaiba. She took me to get delicious macarons by Pierre Herme at the Isetan department store in Shinjuku (we tried almost every flavor available), then we headed over to Odaiba. Since it was a beautiful day out, I opted for my Topshop crop top that I got for less than $10, my forever- favorite Levi's cutoffs, and my lace grandma- like shawl that sort of balances out the whole outfit. I've been there several times already but I can't help being such a tourist every time... Apologies for the otaku-esque photos. 

Even though both my friend and I have been living in Tokyo for the past year, it was surprisingly difficult to find time to meet up often so this outing was perfect for her last day here. I'm going to miss our frequent Line chats since our time zones will be different but I guess that can be managed :)

Hope everyone else had a great weekend - hopefully  I'll have something posted again this week! Thanks for reading!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

Follow @samantha_mariko