Morning sunlight in an urban playground

coat: Topshop; dress: Madewell; boots: Dr. Martens;

ring: Good After Nine

When my photographer, Nahoko, brought me to this lifting outing in the somewhat discreet area of Nogizaka, my first thought was, "What the hell is this place?" A playground for adults, perhaps, I have no clue. This is definitely not a place for children (ha!). These wooden structures were so interesting, so modern, and oddly enough, I blended right in with my surroundings. Nahoko and I arrived right before our shift at work, and wow, does she know how to play with the natural morning light! It was so hard to choose the best ones out of the bunch. We are always shooting indoors in a tiny studio, so being outside and doing our thing was great. I'm sure we will be collaborating again soon.

I wear this knit dress from Madewell a little too much maybe, but it's my favorite! I paired it with my some black tights and my Doc Martens for a girly and playful touch. And my teddy coat, as usual, keeps me nice and snuggly warm.

今回の写真を見て、一瞬「ここはどこ？？」って思うかもしれません。私もカメラマンの鈴木さんに案内されたときは、何これー！と思っちゃいました。乃木坂駅から徒歩3分ぐらいで、ちょっと奥をたどったら、この広い空き地らしき場所にたどり着きます。この木でできた隠れ家的な建物は意外と撮影には使いやすく、楽しかったです。出勤前の時間だったので、朝の光を上手く使うことができました。さすが鈴木さん！楽しい撮影時間、ありがとうございました！

All photos by Nahoko Suzuki

my winter nail care routine (plus a Julep tutorial!)

It's the middle of winter, it's dry, and your hands may look like a hopeless, cracked mess.. honestly, mine look like that most of the time. But with a few tips and tricks, your hands and nails can look so pretty and polished. Julep contacted me to share their nail care tutorial and nail polish color swatches, as well as my own personal tips. 

First, allow me to share my nail care routine.

I've omitted a few tools, such as nail clippers, filer, and hand cream but I will mention them in the steps below!

1. Soak your fingers in warm water, and if desired, add a drop or two of essential oil
2. Dry hands, clip nails to desired length, and file if necessary
3. I use Seacret's Buffing Block to smooth out and prep my nails
4. Rub in some nail oil onto your cuticles. I use one by Canmake, a Japanese brand
5. Apply hand cream to your hands until they are soft (don't forget to massage!)
6. Apply a base coat to your nails. I use Bonder by Orly, which is probably the best out there
7. Next, apply two coats of your favorite nail polish. This time, I am using Essie's Cocktails & Coconuts
8. Lastly, apply one coat of top coat. I'm using Essie's all in one

I'm no pro when it comes to doing the perfect manicure, but I think it looks pretty decent!

And here is Julep's nail care tutorial:

Make sure to check out their color swatch and their new nail colors on their website here! They have some really pretty winter shades (Ilsa is my favorite!).

Did the tutorials help at all? Which Julep shades are your favorite? If you have any nail care suggestions or recommendations, let me know in the comment section!

blondy 2015 SS Lookbook feat. Samantha Mariko

I had been waiting for Japanese fashion brand blondy to post their 2015 SS Lookbook on their website. And finally! they did. This was my first lookbook gig as a model, and I'm not shy to say I am proud of my work here. The blondy team was also very pleased with the outcome, which is one of the best feelings as a model when your client is happy with your work. 

The theme of their SS collection is "My Standard Forever," meaning it's all about quality basics that can be worn for a lifetime. I loved wearing each of the items during the shoot - I could tell the design team put much time and care into each piece. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

待ちに待ったblondy 2015 SS Lookbook がウェブで公開されました！今回は、私がモデルをさせて頂きましたので、本当に光栄でした。このコレクションのテーマは「My Standard Forever」、ずっと変わらないもの、ずっと着たいと思えるもの。まさにそういうラインに仕上がっていると思います。是非ご覧になって下さい！

Check out the rest of blondy's 2015 SS Lookboook here.

Have a great weekend!

A little black dress at the Imperial Hotel

dress: Sheinside; heels: Steve Madden; turtleneck: Uniqlo;

clutch: Michael Kors; ring: Good After Nine; 

watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Sometimes, even a girl like me enjoys getting dolled-up in a little black dress. Sheinside was kind enough to send me a LBD of my choice from my wishlist a little while back, and here it is. I thought this little dress would look better in a more refined setting, and the Imperial Hotel in Hibiya was the ideal location. Beautiful chandeliers, lush red carpeting, and a huge bouquet of red roses right upon entrance, if you can even call it a bouquet (I don't even know what to call it). Needless to say, the hotel was gorgeous.

Since it was much too cold to wear it bare, I layered a basic black turtleneck underneath. I finally got a chance to wear my pearl ring from Good After Nine - how pretty does it look underneath the lights! Dressing up can be so fun sometimes... yes, I am such a girl :)

For more cute dresses for day or evening, check out Sheinside.com (my flare dress was only $26.00!)

Sheinsideさんから頂いた黒いワンピースでドレスアップしました。東京はさすがに寒いので、無地の黒いタートルニットをインしてコーディネートしました。ちょっとお洒落感を演出したく、今回は帝国ホテルで撮影をすることにしました。本当にうっとりするくらい素敵なホテル！ロビーのセンターに飾られていた赤いバラのブーケがとても綺麗でした。たまにはこういうところに来るのもいいですね！

Modern and vintage vibes in Ochanomizu

Coat: Le Ciel Bleu; sweater: Madewell; pants: Zara

shoes: Vans; clutch: Wego; watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs

I hope the weather stays this nice in Tokyo for the rest of winter. No matter how cold it gets, the sunlight always makes a difference. Even in pictures, it makes a huge difference. Lisa from Paint with Stars sure knows how to use the natural light to her advantage! This time, we trekked over to Ochanomizu, an area in Tokyo I've never took the time to explore until this weekend. I instantly felt like I was walking through a retro version of Tokyo, with the old-fashioned architecture, rusty bridges, and peaceful temples. Sometimes the contrast between a modern-looking silhouette against a vintage backdrop is... weirdly perfect.

今回のロケは御茶ノ水。今まで訪れたことがなかったので、ちょっとレトロな雰囲気に一目惚れしました。レトロ感にさらっとモダンな感じのスタイルも悪くないのかな、と。リサさんは相変わらずのカメラの腕前を披露してくれました！いつも素敵な写真を撮ってくれてありがとう。

By the way, I can't thank you all enough for the amazing support with my blog name switch. To tell you the truth, I was a bit nervous about it, but I don't regret it at all. Thank you so much for your kind words <3

All photos by Paint with Stars Photography

black & gold details

Black & gold is my favorite combination, whether they be the colors of my accessories or the items I keep on my bedside table.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'Amy' leather strap watch

Gucci Guilty Intense

VOLUSPA Makassar Ebony & Peach candle

Good After Nine Gold Triangle Pyramid ring

Round-eye sunglasses (similar here)

Do you have a specific set of favorites at the moment?


最近は、ブラックとゴールドの小物やアクセサリーにハマっています。皆さんはお好みのカラーはありますか？