Beauteen 泡立つミルキー髪色 もどしヘアからー Review (Beauteen Bubbly Milky Hair Color) Review

2 days ago I redid my hair coloring. Firstly, to be honest, I don’t have any plans to color my hair in this near time. However, my trainer during my training days told me that if I tied my hair, my hair color difference is significant. Yes, I have to tie my hair in my work and I cannot have uneven hair color. I colored my hair red before, so if it is tied, the red outer color and the black color of my root is very significantly seen, especially in a bright lighted room one. So… I have to recolor it.

This is my hair color before the coloring. You can see the uneven color of red and my natural color of hair.
 

Actually I was very afraid to recolor my hair again, because since I live in Japan, my hair is falling off so much compared to when I am in Indonesia. After I did my research, it was said that the chlorine percentage in Japan’s water is quite high (chlorine is somewhat the same chemical to kill bacteria and be putted in public swimming pool, for example.) and chlorine can damage hair easily. In my case, my hair is getting dry, and break up easily, like, A LOT of breakage everyday! So, I have to make it worse by coloring my hair again WTF.

However, I cannot say no, that’s an order. So, based on reviews here and there, I try this product:

Beauteen泡立つミルキー髪色もどしヘアカラー (How to read: Beauteen Awadatsu Mirukii Kamiiro Modoshi Hea Kara, and if translated becomes Beauteen Bubbly Milky Bringing Back Hair Color, or something like that.)　Color: Super Black. Price: 589 yen.

This is the box of the product (Front, back, side).

I bought the Super Black one (there’s a Natural Black) because I thought having a super black hair can be quite cool. It is like the feeling of a very vintage-y look and paired with red lipstick is just so awesome! And then, on the other side your hair color can be said as a natural color right?? Safe for fashion, safe for work I guess??

It is said that this product is the one brand that do the least damage compared to the other Japanese hair color product such as Palty and others. Trying to minimize the damage to my hair, I decided to buy this one.

This is the inside: The chemical thingy placed on the bottle + pink applicator cap, the color (the tube), leave in nutrition after shampoo, instruction and sensitivity tester, gloves, and instruction.

Remember for you guys who color your hair for the first time to do the sensitivity test (my mixing a little bit of chemical liquid and color in the paper available and put it a little to the skin near you root, usually at the back of the ear). If there’s an unusual reaction come out, don’t use the product or your hair, scalp and skin could be damaged. Yes beauty is pain but health is number one.

 

This is after I mix the color and the chemical liquid (shake around 30-40 times) after that I apply it directly.

The Look?

After I apply the color, I let it be for around 40 minutes (it is said on the instruction only leave it for 15 minutes but somewhat the color shown off more after 20 minutes or more, so I leave it around 40 minutes. After that I took shower (wash my hair mith shampoo 2 times, and conditioner around 5 minutes, as always). This is after I color my hair (and after I take bath my makeup is gone too sorry for that).

And I didn’t forget to put leave on nutrition after dry-towel my hair and let it dry naturally instead of using hairdryer that can damage my hair more.

This is the color after it dries.

The uneven color is disappeared quite well.

How is it?

I am quite impressed by this product. There is a strong point and weak point though.

The strong point is:

• Even after I left my hair with the chemicals around 40 minutes, I found that this hair color doesn’t damage my hair at all. Last time I tried the Palty brand one, and tomorrow morning my hair drying so much. But it is definitely not with this product. My hair just stay the same and even slightly softer after I dyed it. This is the best product to color your hair freely and less damaging it.

The weak point is:

• They said it will go bubbly several minutes after I apply the product as a signal that the coloring is done (that’s why they name it Bubbly). However in my case, I didn’t found any bubble at all. Yes the color is coming out but where’s the bubble?? I want some fun!! (yes this is not a significant point but…)
• I’m quite disappointed that I don’t get the very super jet black color like in the box one. I expect the super black one but instead I got the natural black I guess. However this is still acceptable since remembering that this product is less damaging (hard chemical contained is low) so maybe that the color is not as strongly come out compared to the other coloring product. I assumed now that the more significant color can be seen in one package, the chemical contained is higher.

The Score?

Despite of the weaknesses, I’m impressed with this product! This product suits my hair very much since I am searching for a less damaging hair color one. However, maybe for you people who search for a stronger color, you have to use it 2 times (2 boxes) to make the color come out or simply just buy another product that suits you best. In my case, I give the score at:

4.0/5.0

Definitely want to try it again in the future but with a different color next time (and of course with the acceptations from my new manager later). For now, play safe. Pfiuh.

See you on my next post!!

n.b: After several days later, I found out the color starts to get blacker and blacker everyday. I guess now my hair color kinda match the color in the box. I think we have to wait several days for the color to reach its maximum color to come out.

Here's the proof. From soft black (before) to thicker black.

Heroine Make Liquid Eyeliner Review

Last time, because my Etude Oh m'Eye Line! Jet Black eyeliner that I brought from Indonesia is ran out, I have to buy a new eyeliner.

After around 30 minutes more browsing, finally I decided to try this eyeliner brand:

Heroine Make Liquid Eyeliner (Black).

This brand is not a brand new product, already launched several years ago I guess? But I didn’t have any time to try it before (and because in Indonesia this brand is very expensive as hell) and now I finally can try it!

The Look?

First look (taken in the morning).

after 12 hours (taken at night; that explain the tone difference among these pictures).

as you can see, there are some blemish of the liner because of the oil. Below are another photo taken on another day after 9 more hours of usage when I have excess oil.

Disasterrr.

How Is It?

I cannot say I really love or really hate this product. Although its is said it is waterproof, I find it oily-messy in the end of the day. My previous eyeliner is getting messy too after more than 8 hours usage but much more like crisp-flaky messy (that easier to be touched up and cleaned) rather than oily messy (ruined eyeshadow; hard to be touched up).However this product stay just fine for around 6-7 hours so that should be fine if you only use it for a short period (not like a whole day worker like me :s)

Compared to my Etude product before, the resistance is still down under and the drying speed is kinda slow. The thing I love more about the product is the very soft tip of the applicator. It is very soft and comfy even when I apply this eyeliner, sometimes I would like to apply it again and again only to feel the softness of the tip brush hahaha.

The Score?

So, for the score, i give it:

3,75 / 5,0

0,25 for the soft tip.

For me, I have to find another better brand rather than this, because I haven't found any Etude store in Japan.. So sad. The only Korean makeup store that I have found for this 2 months here is only Tony Moly and I don’t quite like the brand. I’d prefer The Face Shop or Etude.

However here in Japan they have a so called as "1 day tattoo eyeliner" that stays ALL day long without messy, they said. I would like to try one but later maybe, since the price is quite expensive compared to the regular eyeliner. I assume it has better quality? Can;t be sure, have to try it by myself first. I have to start saving and hunting from now on then!

See you on next post!

Candy Magic 1 Day Miracle Brown Review

I have been long since teenage committed to not wearing any contact lenses. Because once I've tried a local product once, and it's very uncomfortable. My eyes went very red at that time, itchy, not to mention that I can feel the lenses in my eyes, like there's some strange object being inserted to my eyes. Yuck. Not the best feeling in the world.

However, nowadays, seeing almost all of the Japanese girl wearing contact lenses (even for high scholl girl) tickles my curiousity. Is it comfortable? I bet that Japanese quality of lenses is somewhat better compared to mine at that time. So, losing to my curiousity, I try to buy one.

I buy this Candy Magic 1 Day Miracle Brown (14,5 Diameter).  1680 yen for 5 pair (10 lenses).

I buy the 1 day use first to make sure whether it suits me or not. If it suits me, I'll try to use the monthly one (or buy another brand to review it again!)

The Look?

Before and after.

After makeup, and lashes (the Diamond Lashes that I've bought before).

It gives me a natural brown look, contrasting my pupil and eyeball line, and makes my eyes bigger because of the big diameter size.

How is It?

I'm quite amazed by this product. I expect that kind of irritating feeling last time I try contact lenses, but this one is not!! I get no red eyes at all, and I didn't feel like I'm wearing contact lenses at all!  This one is so comfy. Even my Singaporeans girl friend that bought this along with me said that compared to the lenses she have been wearing all the time from Singapore, this one is still comfier!

for overall, I give this product:

4.0 / 5.0

Why 4?

Beside of the comfy-ness, I feel like my eyes a little bit drying with this lenses. Whether I still not used to it, or here in Japan is the start of winter + strong wind + dry air that makes my eye even dry, I don't know. But in a nutshell I still really, really like this product. However I cannot say this one is my holy grail product cause I havent try the other brand of lenses before. I will be in the future :)

I hope my review helps you guys.

See you again in another review!

A Little Shopping Spree

Finally I got my first bill for gas, electricity, and phone!

My gas bill. 913 yen.

The gas is cheap for sure, I rarely cook.

Electricity. 2.458 yen.

Not too bad. But surely by the next 3 months it will be more expensive cause no doubt I will use much more appliances such as heater or kotatsu to fight the winter.

My phone bill!! I am very nervous when opened my bill envelope at that time.

Surprisingly, it is cheaper than I thought. Remember the previous post about the forecast bill for my phone? I wonder why it is cheaper (still dont know until now). I thought it will be 8000 yen up above something. Only got 7300 yen for phone bill just makes my day!!

Still not getting my bill for water though. I wonder how much it will cost? *scared*

Recently, not much to do except to attend training in my company like as always. However around this week I’ve been buying going to several places such as Tokyo Midtown, Tokyo Sky Tree, Yoyogi Park, and several every day need shopping. However  I didn’t manage to take proper photos because most of them at that time I go unintentionally only for taking a little bit walk after church (on Sunday).

I bought several new things though! So exciting but feels a little bankrupt at the same time..

I bought a small humidifier from Muji. 

This is still in the middle of Fall but the air is very dry already. If I dont buy this thing, my skin will be ruined! It usually went very dry in the morning without humidifier. I have to buy this to prevent my skin not too get very dry or else it will be very itchy.

After that I buy a new eyeliner, lashes and colored contact lenses!!

• Heroine Make Liquid Eyeliner Jet Black : 924 yen.
• Candy Magic 1 Day Colored Contact Lens Miracle Brown : 1680 yen.
• Diamond Lash 5 pair : 1050 yen.

See that’s why I feel poor already (but happily poor!)

However however however finally this is my first time of buying colored contact lenses!! I never use lenses before but after a while here I am really really convinced to try colored contact lenses. I saw that almost 98% of Japanese girl wear contact lenses so why not try? Since I think the quality of colored contact lenses is better here rather in Indonesia, so I try this Candy Magic brand. Firstly I buy the daily usage one. Want to try whether I can use contact lenses or not.  One box consist of 5 pairs of contacts. So exciting to try all of these!

Maybe on the next post later I will try to review this brand, along with the lashes and eyeliner! So see ya then!

Japan Handphone System 101 (From Dummy to Dummy: Beware!)

Last 16 of October I finally bought my new phone, the HTC One. Just for information, based on my and my friend actual market research (uncool language: went to so much electronic store and see the price chart like stupid, hard to understand the kanji and system; and compare several types of phone type), we found that Iphone series is the cheapest here. 

But why I choose HTC One? Several reasons:

• I dont like Iphone very much. The system is confusing, too exclusive ‘cause most of good application  we have to pay for it (I’m cheapo minded okay), not compatible to other phone.
• TOO MAINSTREAM here in Japan. It’s like EVERYONE using IPhone like theres no other phone on earth beside IPhone. I don’t know why and since when but I always hate something too mainstream (especially about handphone), when so many people use it, I won’t use the same thing. Last time I use Blackberry too because my family used bb, I was kinda forced to buy that so we can use bbm together. Finally change my phone
• Even though it’s cheap, the stock kinda fucked up here. Almost every store out of stock of IPhone, you have to go indent and order until we-don’t-know-when-the-stock-will-come amount of period. It’s just like, what?? Seriously
• My brother use HTC One too. He said it is good, I believe, I buy. Live simply.

Okay, enough for my reason. Next I will explain a little bit and as simple as possible about handphone system in Japan. I try to search for the simplest explanation on web but cannot find it. Now that I understand it a little bit, why not share? 

•  In Japan, you cannot buy only the number only or the phone only. They use contract system: Handphone + provider (number), that usually bonds for 2 years. If you want to break the contract, you have to pay some penalty. So, if you only stay in Japan for a short time, try to search free wifi, or rent a phone. I was told that we can rent a phone in airport. I cannot confirm this one, because I have never rent a phone before
• In Japan, there are 3 providers of phone business: Docomo, Softbank and AU. Docomo signal is the best, but the most expensive too. AU signal is ok, kinda fucked up in handphone,  however the price is quite good. Softbank is the averagely the cheapest, but the signal is not that good too. However, for AU and Softbank, you can have free call with the same provider in several period of time a day, while for Docomo, you have to pay more for this kind of service. When I say that Iphone is the cheapest, It is the cheapest even with the 3 provider fee.
• You have to have a bank account first before you can buy a phone. Because the payment method either will be paid manually in konbini or directly deducted from your bank account. 
• For the 2 years contract, every month roughly you pay for: phone price + provider service (internet) + additional call charges (if make paid calls for example to other provider) + additional services (such as tethering, emergency message and so on). Picture below is the example of my services that they give which is the highlighted one (I'm sorry it's all in Japanese):

Let me get you a very, very simple explanation one:

For example here is my payment chart (HTC One + AU):

1. Phone Price Discount             - 680 yen      *I’m not quite understand about this one.
2. Provider Service                       9400 yen   *(unlimited, but over 7GB will be slowed down from 40 mb/s to around several kb/s I think)
3. Additional phone charge           unknown    *(haven’t received my first bill yet)
4. Additional services              unknown   *(usually they give free promotion for 1 month for several additional services, after that either you stopped it or continue with additional fee: for example all my services I was given in the paper above, several of them I have to stopped it or else they will charge it for the next month.)
5. And the other combination of elements that I didn't remember it anymore that makes this is total for roughly I pay minimum about 8700 yen per month for my phone for about 2 years. Let’s cry for bankruptcy!!!

However, pay attention that we have to make initial payment in the day we buy the phone. It is different per provider and per phone type. Mine, I only pay 30.000 yen for initial charge but 8700 yen per month for 2 years. While my friend pay roughly around 90.000 yen at the beginning but only around 2500 yen monthly (Iphone 5S 64GB + Softbank).

     Quite confusing eh? When I buy the phone I was given the detailed list of fee alright but there’s so much element that I forgot most of them (they don’t give us the list, I guess it’s a secret?). So, Please don’t ask me about something so detailed about the price system. I only explained it in a dummy way and as far as I can understand

     And pay attetion that not all phone sold with charger included. They sold it separately. I was kinda pissed off when I have to pay more for my phone charger. They sold the charger with their own brand, on my case its AU charger. 

     I was like, what?? Is this common practice?? In my country before it is usually not like this. Phone comes with the set of charger. I have to pay about 900 yen more for the charger. Ugh.

I have once calculated and converted  my phone bills in Rupiah.  And now I regretted it, making my life more miserable:

1. All amount I roughly will pay for 2 years is 30.000 yen (initial payment for what I don’t really know) + 8700 yen x 24 months = 238.800 yen. 
2. Converted to Rupiah is  238.800 yen x Rp 120 = Rp 28.656.000. 
3. This amount deducted but HTC One phone price  in Indonesia for about Rp 7.500.000 in rupiah which make it Rp 21.156.000. 
4. And then assume this money is used for monthly bill in Indonesia for 2 years. If want to count it monthly = Rp 21.156.000 : 24 months = Rp 881,500 per month!!!

I even never used more than Rp 100.000 phone bills per month in Indonesia for my whole life!!!! This is insanity WTF WTF I go dieeee. 

EH, not after I finish this blog.

I hope this one help! *sob*

See ya on the next post!!          

Cheap Japanese Food (??)

Who says living in Japan is very expensive? I don’t think so. Nowadays, living in Japan is as the same as living in America or Australia in some ways. The food cost, transportation, is stil ok. Maybe the most expensive one is the accomodation in my opinion, especially in Tokyo. So many people come to Tokyo for work it is getting very crowded, small apartment being build and offering expensive rent cost.

This time I want to share especially focusing on food. In Japan, you can search for food as cheap as 280 yen until as high as 6000 yen, you choose. Not need to be afraid there is no food stall here and there. Even you can have bentos from the supermarket (or small convenience store) and all you have to do is to buy it and heat it on the microwave (even sometime they have the microwave and free to use for customer!). Usually big department store sell SO MUCH type of bento you’ll be confused which one to try. The bigger the supermarket the bento type will much more varies.

Photos below is one of the example of bento boxes sold in Seiyu, one of the famous supermarket in Japan.

  

They sell everything from salad, pasta, onigiri, japanese food, and so on. They all ranged from 280 yen, until 600 yen. Even sometimes they sell trayed rice only / appetizer only. If you bring your own rice, all you have to do is buy the complimentary. Easy life, eh??

And this one is from small convenience store, 7Eleven (yea they have 7-11 too there). Not bad, huh? 

Although the choice is'nt that much at least you know lah you won't die of hunger in Japan. Hungry? Go to konbini, problem solved. Unless you are too lazy to walk to konbini, go die. hahaha.

What is the best thing about supermarket bento?? Well, if you quite ignorant about the quality, you can wait until past 7 p.m and usually they give all these bentos BIG DISCOUNT since if it’s not sold they have to throw it all to maintain the quality. SO, you can find some much more cheaper than 280 yen bento above 7 pm every day. EVERY DAY. Horraaay for that!

Bought this discounted bento. Still good!! Rice topped with salmon, tuna, squid, and other thing I don't know but delicious!

Even here sometimes I found a store specialized in selling bentos only. However, if you are sick of bentos, you can try to go to these kind of store: They sell menus usually from a machine that you have to enter your money first and pick the menu. After that the coupon will come out and give it to the staff there and just sit! Usually this kind of restaurant sells food ranged from 280 yen to the maximum of 800 yen. The portion is big too! Several examples are Yoshinoya, Matsuya (pic1), Chikara Meshi (pic2) and Nakau (pic3) below.

 

The machine, coupon, and my order. Steak for only 680 yen. What???

However, in these kind of restaurant, you cannot spend too much time eating and talking. They are a (semi) fast food restaurant that usually visited by only one person or two person eating alone, finish eating, then go. No room for chit chat, especially when it is crowded. Suitable for eating alone, not suitable for group eating, as sometimes you will be separated by seat (they usually don't have the dinner table type, only bar).

For a much proper restaurant (without ticket machine), usually they sell menus from 700 yen until 2000 yen.  Some example below are listed.

Eat at Danny's. This cost me about 890 yen (include the fancy drink).

 Eat at 100 yen Sushi Shop. I ordered about 7 plates for only 735 yen for total. Matcha are free!

Me and my friend that night. Happy, feeling full and not bankrupt. Pfiuh.

After around one month here, I found that most common cheap food I found are rice topped with meat (“gyudon”,”katsudon”), curry rice, and ramen. Besides of that, it is usually being sold above 700yen. Vegetables is more expensive in Japan rather than meat, so usually cheap food rarely comes with a lot of vegetables. I usually buy salads if I really want to eat vegetables. And then so much food using pork for it’s ingredients here. Have to be much more careful if you can’t eat pork.

For me, 2000 yen per day is more than enough to budget your expense for food. However, if you want to eat fancy stuff in cafe, big fancy restaurant, of course you need more than that. After all, expense is based on each one lifestyle right? I hope this article will help you all to imagine about the food expense in Japan.

Nb: Use a little bit of your budget to try desserts from convenience store. From cream puff, long roll cake to purin and stuff, it is amazingly cheap and delicioussss!! I recommend the yakipurin, creampuff, cream roll. 

Happy eating, SAVING, and see ya on next post!! Jahh!!