pink is key

(sweater: Topshop; skirt & shoes: Zara; hat: Le Ciel Bleu; 

necklace: Forever 21; clutch: Michael Kors)

I would have never thought to wear an outfit like this had it not been for my work. Le Ciel Bleu has changed my outlook on fashion immensely - the Samantha 2 months ago would not be wearing a knit hat of any color, especially bright pink. And with a pencil skirt. Sounds weird but it somehow goes together. Balancing out the bright accessories with a monotone outfit is key, and is a simple way to coordinate outfits. I wouldn't be surprised if I had a collection of hats in every color by the end of the winter season. I think I'm hooked. 

Love,

Samantha Mariko

there is a place in the distance

(Outfit 1- shirt: Uniqlo; vintage jacket: Levi's; pants: Le Ciel Bleu; 

knit hat: Loaves; boots: Doc Martens; rings: Forever 21)

(Outfit 2 - sweater & skirt: g.u.; booties: Madewell) 

 Photos by Kidperez Photography - All Rights Reserved

I was so excited to receive the final images from my photo shoot with Kidperez Photography last weekend. We did two different looks, but I would have to say my favorite is the first one. I've been wanting to do a boyish look but with a touch of feminine (with the makeup and the pink flannel). So a huge thank you to my photographer for letting me do this! For the second look, my makeup artist Niki wanted to do a Barbie-inspired look, hence the girly outfit. I love this fluffy white sweater from g.u. - so soft and easy to pair with a skirt or pants. 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a good week! 

Been listening to Madeon almost non-stop these days... <3

Love,

Samantha Mariko

witchcraft

It might be a little too late to be posting a Halloween makeup tutorial since the weekend is almost over, but maybe it will be useful for next year. I dressed up as a witch this Halloween, but since my costume was pretty simple, I really wanted my makeup to be vivid and, well, sexy. My 3 essentials were crazy eyelashes, KATE super sharp [liquid] liner, and L'Oreal lipstick in 302 sunset red. I was lucky to have gotten my fake lashes as a gift from my friend - they were outrageous enough but not trashy. To go along with the eyelashes, I made my winged eye liner extra long and applied an excessive amount of black eye shadow (I would never do this normally!). I also drew the spider web with my KATE liquid eyeliner. And last but not least, the lipstick. Make sure you use a lip brush so the lip color stays on the whole night! It really makes a difference :)

I hope this helps. Happy Halloween!<3

Love,

Samantha Mariko

black & white party

(blouse: Le Ciel Bleu; skirt: g.u.; Alfani heels)

I had the pleasure of attending a party hosted by my work, Le Ciel Bleu/ Restir in Roppongi. These were the few photos I was able to snap right before the guests started arriving. The hors d'oeuvres and flower arrangements look pretty amazing, don't you think? They were delicious too :)

The party had a great turn-out, and everyone enjoyed the food and music. There were 3 different DJs, including Tetsuya Komuro, a famous Japanese producer and songwriter. He definitely turned up the volume in the house!  I almost forgot how much my feet were killing me, so that's a good thing.

And a shot with my coworkers to end the night :) お疲れ様！ 

Love,

Samantha Mariko

Photoshoot in Toyosu

Photo diary from my first test shoot in Japan! I had a great time working with Noli and Niki, my photographer and MUA. We made our way to Toyosu, a city located near the harbor. I've never posted before & after photos from my previous photo shoots, but I thought it would be fun to do that this time. Make-up does wonders, I tell you. 

After the shoot, we took the train to the next station, Tsukishima, to feast on monjayaki (the Tokyo-version of okonomiyaki). Tsukishima is famous for monjayaki - you can tell because the whole street is blocked off and lined with monjayaki resaurants. It's more liquid-based than okonomiyaki, but still delicious. And it turns out Niki & I have matching iPhone cases :) 

The three of us are planning to do a studio shoot soon, which I am looking forward to. I love working with such talented and friendly people! Stay tuned for images from this shoot!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

it's been a while

(outfit 1: shirt: needsupply.com; skirt: g.u.; purse: Suzutan; cuff: F21)

(outfit 2: shirt: equipment: pants: le ciel bleu; clutch: Michael Kors; sunglasses: H&M)

(outfit 3: sweater: g.u.; pants: uniqlo; purse: Suzutan; bracelet: Marc by Marc Jacobs)

I know it's been a while since my last blog post, but with moving and work and no internet for a week, I had to put blogging on hold. I was also cooped up in bed all day yesterday with a fever, which didn't help my case either. But I'm all better now and excited to be blogging again :) Here are some outfits I wore last week; if you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen these. It's starting to get chilly over here in Tokyo, so I'm starting to pull out my knits & long sleeves [cuddle weather!]. I can't wait to see the leaves change color here - it's going to be gorgeous! 

Anyways, I hope everyone's having a fabulous week!

 Don't forget to follow me on Instagram (@samanthamariko) and Twitter (@samantha_mariko)!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

take it to the head

Good morning everyone!

I would really appreciate it if you take the time to check out my friend AYE SONG's new music video!!

DJ Khaled - Take it to the Head (explicit AYESONG cover) 

feat. MOTIV & JOSELYN ARCIAGA

I was fortunate enough to take part in this video shoot as a model. I've been in a few music videos before this, but it's always a good experience to watch all the behind-the-scenes action in the making of a video. Plus, these artists are extremely talented so it was a pleasure working with them. 

Like AYE SONG's Facebook page here and subscribe to his YouTube page here.

Check out the other artists too!

AYE SONG: @ayesong (Twitter)

MOTIV: @jairustotle (Twitter)

Joselyn: Youtube

Andrew (videographer): andrew@inhousegoods.com 

If you could leave me feedback on the video, that would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you & have a lovely day <3

Love,

Samantha Mariko

wishlist

The great thing about working in apparel is that you get to look at beautiful clothes everyday. For me, the downside of working at Le Ciel Bleu is that I want everything. As I said in my last post, Le Ciel carries imported brands as well as its original brand. The open-zip sweater and the blue fur vest are both by Le Ciel Bleu, while the pink leopard print sweater and the sneakers are LULU&CO and BE&D, respectively. Check out Le Ciel Bleu's website here for more wardrobe choices. 是非チェックして下さいね！

Love,

Samantha Mariko