Shizuoka City, Japan Travel Guide: What to do, where to eat, access etc!

I'm living in Shizuoka city at the moment, and as the Rugby world cup is bringing a lot of people to the area very soon, I thought it's the perfect time to share my guide to the area.
Shizuoka has got tonnes to offer tourists- from the obvious (mount Fuji, lush tea fields, amazing coastline and hot springs) to other more unexpected aspects- there are loads of trendy craft beer shops, vintage clothing boutiques and cafes. It's also nice to get a taste of the 'real Japan' as well as the big tourist hotspots. I've lived here for nearly 10 months, and here are my favourite places to hang out:

Japanese Streets #12// Osaka photos from 9 months ago part 3

Here are the last few photos I took in Osaka on the night I landed last year- wandering round Osaka at night is definitely the best way to spend an evening- it's so dreamy. These photos are from Namba, sen nichi mae and ura namba- so all those neon lights, lanterns and vibes

Why it's important to retouch your roots every 4-6 weeks

I'm not a hairdresser, but I bleach my hair by myself at home, have been doing it for about 6 years now (!) and my hair is still on my head. So that's something. Today, I wanted to make a shortish post about why hairdressers usually recommend retouching hair 4-6 weeks, and why it's important to actually keep to this schedule in my experience.

Japanese streets #11// Osaka photos from 9 months ago part 2- Dotombori at night

Part 2 of my photos from when I landed in Osaka last year- wandering around namba with my camera eating takoyaki and living my best life basically

Can we talk about the fact that my "How to dye your hair grey" Youtube video has 20k+ views??

Hi gang!
Just a quick little post today, but I made a couple of Youtube videos last year, just for fun and I just kind of threw them up and left them to chill, but my Makki grey video has got 20k+ views!! Who even knew!

In case you haven't seen it yet/ are thinking about dying your hair grey/ pink/ lavender- here's my Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/CandyflossOverkill

and here is said grey hair video!

I'm super proud, because obviously it's not all about views but it is satisfying to know that the posts and videos I made to inform people about hair dyes are actually... you know... informing people... 

My laptop is completely on its' last legs and not up to video editing any more, but hopefully one day I'll be able to do some more bits for youtube. I definitely will film my apartment before I leave (I loove watching room tours), but I'm not going to upload it while I'm still living here, just in case. 

And I do have some more hair dye review posts planned, because I for one obsessively search for hair dye reviews before I try anything new and not many people post about the specific things I want to know (how long does it take to fade/ does it cover slightly yellow roots)

Annnyway.
That's it for now, I hope you guys are well! I'm really enjoying being 'back' blogging and I hope to stick around for a while- let me know if there's anything you'd like me to post about! <3
Thanks for reading!
-Amy xoxo

The best grey hair dye?! Makki grey review and before and after// Bleach London fade to grey grey toner: review and before and after// Schwarzkopf live Steel Silver 098 review and before and after//

Japanese streets # 10// Photos I took in Osaka 9 months ago

So I've definitely completely neglected my blog recently- blame work.
But, I have been taking photos, and I wanted to start sharing more about what I've been up to, more about working in Japan, house hunting, Japanese products that really work, clothes I've bought and gigs I went to... you know, the usual!

And so I thought I'd start from the actual start of the year, when I landed in my favourite city in Japan, Osaka, and spent a happy jetlagged day walking around taking photos and eating Takoyaki.

This first set is from Shin Osaka/ Umeda- I'd just got off the plane and was feeling really grotty and not up for being around the sparkly young fashionable people in the shopping district of Umeda, so I found myself walking around the grottier backstreets and we all know how I feel about Japanese streets! 

How living in Leeds changed my style

wavey uni student style is definitely a thing

I thought it would be fun to reflect on how living in Leeds changed my style, like I did when I did my post on how Japan changed my style a few years ago. Let's just say that I looove Leeds and it definitely left its' mark on me!

vintage//  there are a tonne of vintage sales and really great vintage/charity shops in Leeds (shout out to my fave Blue Rinse) and I've also been trying to buy vintage clothes a teeny bit more (less environmental guilt, etc.) so I've definitely been into the baggy men's jumper aesthetic now

more grunge/rock and less 'kawaii'// This is something I'm a bit sad about, but idk if I've got more self conscious or if it's just because I think it suits me more. I do loove kawaii styles, but I just think they don't suit me... would love to give Gyaru a proper go though! Actually, writing this has made me determined to try and be cute sometimes, because why not!

Fishnets// these became such a trend, and it gave me the confidence to try and wear them, and I really like them now!

rings// I've got a small perfect ring collection now and they're one of the pieces of jewellery I tend to wear on a regular basis.

small jewellery every day// I used to wear looooads of jewellery- very big statement pieces and piled things on decora- style. I definitely think I've left that behind, because it's clunky and irritating and just more effort. I wear the same earrings almost every day, and it's kind of great? Although Leeds has also got me into hoops occasionally too.

buuut, I'm back in Japan right now, so maybe my style will change again! I'll keep you posted :) Has the place that you live ever influenced your style?

#Jumpersthatlooklikebusseats OOTD // Leeds day and OOTD/ Visiting the Tetley // What I wear to Uni: vintage jumper, fishnets and DMs OOTD// How living in Japan changed my style//