graduation!

I am excited to announce that I'm officially a UCLA graduate!

The School of Arts and Architecture Commencement Ceremony was lovely, with inspirational guest speakers like Herb Alpert. It was nice to see the familiar faces of my colleagues again as we congratulated one another on our achievements.

I'm so thankful to have made it this far, and it wouldn't have been possible without the love and support from my family, friends, professors, counselors, colleagues, and the boyfriend :) Thank you so much everyone! It was a great 3 1/2 years for me! Now looking forward to what is in store for me next :)

Love,

Samantha Mariko 

Artistry cosmetics

Yesterday, I had my makeup done for my graduation by Ami Kuroda, a multi-media makeup artist from Los Angeles. She did my makeover using Artistry cosmetics, a quality skin-care and cosmetics line exclusively from Amway. 

Ami used toner, moisturizer, foundation, concealer, etc... but it felt like I had nothing on. The makeup was so light, but it made a huge difference visually. The selection of eye shadow and lipstick colors were great, and their application was really easy. I was also surprised at how affordable Artistry cosmetics are (if I remember correctly, a lip gloss was about $10 and concealer about $15). Ami told me that Artistry cosmetics can be compared to department store brands, so you can pay less for quality makeup. 

On me:

Foundation - Bone

Eyebrow - Brown

Eyeliner - Ebony

Eye shadow - Fusion, Drift, Rich, Magic

Lip Liner - Pink nude

Lip Color - Neutrale

You can check out Ami's Facebook page here and her Tumblr here.

Photos from my graduation coming soon :)

Love,

Samantha Mariko 

Griffith Observatory

(dress: Uniqlo; denim jacket: from Japan; sunglasses: H&M)

Yesterday, my friend and I decided to drive up to the Griffith Observatory in LA to see what it was all about. We didn't realize we parked my car at the bottom of the hill and that we had an approximately 3 mile hike ahead of us. It was tiring, but the view from above was amazing. The observatory itself was better than I expected: there is no entrance fee, and the planetarium show is only $5! The exhibits were fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the planetarium. It's hard to see, but I did get a picture with the Hollywood sign in the background. My friend and I gave up taking any more photos because of the wind constantly blowing our hair in our faces and the smog covering the sign. I definitely wouldn't mind going back again though.

We finished our day with shaved snow from Blockheads on Sawtelle. I ordered the #4, which was black sesame shaved snow with Oreos, rice cake and coconut drizzle. So delicious and refreshing! 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

my new favorites

(from top to bottom - leather watch (gift); ear cuff and ring: Topshop Japan; 

heels: H&M Japan; purse: Zara Japan)

These are some of my new favorite items that I brought back from Japan. I know it's almost summer and I should be wearing brighter colors, but you can never go wrong with black. I snagged the Zara purse for a mere $40 - I love how it fits all of my things and there's still room for more. 

I miss shopping in Japan and always being able to find a good deal. I hope it won't be too long til I go back!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

in the toyko countryside

Finished my first day on set for NHK's Tokyo Eye.

Akane and I introduced different places in Akikawa, which is the countryside in Tokyo. I always imagined Tokyo to be all city life, but I was taken away by the breathtaking beauty of the Akikawa. First, we went to the hot springs and did a foot spa, which was a great way to start the day. Afterwards, we had a delicious Japanese-style meal at Kurochaya while enjoying the view of the garden. The most exciting part of the shoot was exploring the limestone cave. It was extremely narrow and cool, but the limestone was beautiful. It sort of reminded me of Disneyland's Thunder Mountain.

It was an extremely long day, but I had a great time with Akane and the crew. I'm looking forward to day 2 on set!

Love,

Samantha Mariko